


Firehouse 56

by Danistalley12



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Firefighters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-04-08
Packaged: 2018-03-18 13:17:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 97,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3571073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danistalley12/pseuds/Danistalley12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lexa is Lieutenant of Rescue Truck 2 in Washington DC's highly regarded Firehouse 56. She is the youngest Lieutenant's in the Unit's proud and long history but she has also become one of the very best. She has built the Unit around her to be the best but she is still missing a few pieces of the final puzzle and that's how she meets Clarke Griffin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi All! 
> 
> So this is the beginning of the Firefighter AU and I hope you guys like it! I'll be updating this as soon as I can but I have a bit going on at the moment so it might be a little slower than my previous story. 
> 
> Let me know what you think! I'm just going to nervously post this one here...

“You're up, Lieutenant”

 

Lexa’s gaze shifted from a plaque on the wall she had been staring at absentmindedly for the past 4 minutes while she waited for her turn.

 

She looked down to the cards in her hands and around the table at her crew.

 

“Already?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrows

 

“Wow you really haven’t been paying attention” Octavia replied before glancing over in the direction that Lexa had been staring and paused “But that’s okay”

 

“I’ll fold” Lexa shook her head as she sighed, sliding her cards back into the middle of the table

 

It was the end of a double shift for them all, they had been extremely busy and they were all just hoping for a quiet few hours before the rotation could change and they could go home.

 

Lexa rubbed her eyes roughly and sighed quietly before looking down to her hands.

 

They had rescued a lot of people, they had lost a few but they also helped build the team that was sitting around her.

 

She trusted the men and women of Washington DC’s Firehouse 56 more than anyone else in the world.

 

She couldn’t have been prouder of everything they had achieved under her guidance, quickly becoming one of the most highly regarded units in the country.

 

Lexa was Lieutenant of Rescue Truck 2, she was only 24 when she was awarded the ranking and had been in the job for 2 years so she was still young but her leadership skills were second to none.

 

Lexa was a natural born leader, she had what it took and she knew it.

 

It also didn’t hurt that she came straight out of school to become a firefighter.

 

That was what she had wanted her entire life.

 

That was _all_ she ever wanted.

 

She was a 3rd generation firefighter and her family couldn’t have been any prouder if they tried.

 

She was on the rescue truck, handling any victim rescues and ladder work, working very closely with the paramedics, which they were lacking at that moment.

 

 Her colleague Bellamy Blake was Lieutenant of Engine 21 but they all tended to gel together well when they were in the firehouse.  

 

Octavia was Bellamy’s sister but she had opted to become part of the rescue crew once her probation was lifted and Lexa was more than happy to have her.

 

They were the first ever Brother/Sister combination in their firehouse, which proved to be problematic sometimes but everything seemed to run relatively smoothly.

 

They had all witnessed losses, triumphs and almost unspeakable things together but at the end of the day, they were there to serve so that is what they did.

 

The alarm sounded loudly as everyone paused to see who would be required in this call

 

**_“Firehouse 56, Rescue Truck 2, Engine 21 we have a serious multi-car accident on the corner of 3 rd and Maple” _ **

 

They didn’t need to hear the repetition of the call; they were all already halfway to their trucks by the time it sounded.

 

The trucks tore out of the firehouse, sirens blaring and adrenaline pumping.

 

“I was kind of hoping for a quiet end of shift” Octavia said looking to Indra who sat quietly next to her “I don’t know about you but this double shift has killed me”

 

“We can be tired once we complete this rescue” Lexa said staring out at the road ahead of her “Then we can sleep until the next shift”

 

“2 Minutes away Lieutenant” Lincoln said as she cautiously drove through a red light

 

“Try and be there in 1” Lexa replied with a nod

 

Lincoln managed to get there in 1 minute and what they arrived to was worse than what they had thought.

 

A truck had run a red light and collected 2 cars on its way through.

 

Police were just arriving on the scene and paramedics pulled up behind them as Lexa and her crew jumped out of the truck

 

“I need you to make sure there are no fuel leaks” Lexa said looking to Bellamy as he rushed over to her “If there are, I need you to cover them because this isn’t going to be a quick rescue. Secure the area and identify any further problems”

 

“We’ll keep an eye on it” Bellamy nodded

 

“Look at both cars” Lexa replied before rushing to a police officer

 

“The truck driver is fine; he’s sitting on the side of the road. There’s an old couple in the first car, they seem to be okay but they’re in shock. There’s a young female trapped in the second car, she’s conscious” The Officer said

 

“Get the paramedics to come with me to the second car” Lexa said “Indra, go to the first car, if you can move them do so. If not, wait for other paramedics”

 

Lexa rushed to the second car, a small blue Toyota that looked like it was probably relatively new.

 

Paramedics followed as they rushed to assess the crash victim while Lexa looked under the car, thankfully there was no leak but the girl in the car looked like she was heavily trapped in the now twisted steel.

 

Lexa approached the passenger side of the car, which was almost completely gone as the paramedic moved to the back door of the driver’s side

 

The girl was no older than Lexa, her blonde hair was streaked in red due to a gash just above her eyebrow that was bleeding steadily.

 

Her eyes were shut tightly in pain and her hands shaking in her lap as her legs were trapped in place as the door was crushed and the wheel was pressed into her stomach.

 

If anything had shifted during the crash to any side by even an inch, she would have been crushed to death but somehow she managed to be in a contained, tight box.

 

“Hi there, I’m Lieutenant Lexa” Lexa said looking around the car further “What’s your name?”

 

“Clarke” She said quickly “My name is Clarke Griffin”

 

“Okay Clarke, do you know what day it is?” Lexa asked

 

“It’s Friday” Clarke replied stiffly

 

“Okay I just need to you stay still, okay?” Lexa asked gently “And I need you to be as calm as you can so we can get you out of here. You’re going to be fine”

 

Clarke didn’t reply as the paramedic placed a neck brace on her for precaution as Lexa moved back from the car

 

“Octavia, I need a saw and the jaws” Lexa called quickly “Lincoln, bring me some airbags so we can raise the side of the car”

 

“Tell me what pain you are feeling and where” Lexa heard the paramedic ask the young girl

 

Lexa looked to the other car, Indra was assisting the paramedics with the old couple who were fine but they were more concerned about shock setting in so they had to get them to hospital as soon as they could.

 

“My legs, it’s hot against my legs. My head hurts and the wheel is digging into me but nothing is broken” The blonde said as she swallowed thickly as the paramedics covered the cut on her forehead 

 

“We have to make sure the airbags are secure before we remove the wheel” Lexa said turning to Octavia who handed her the saw

 

Once they had secured those airbags, Lexa moved as close to Clarke as she could without touching her, they had placed protection over Clarke so she wouldn’t feel any heat or be in any danger of sparks hitting her

 

“Okay, I’m just going to remove this wheel so we can get a bit of pressure off you” Lexa said patiently as the blonde opened her eyes to look at her, causing her to pause

 

“Okay” Clarke nodded

 

The pain was so evident in her eyes but Lexa couldn’t help but to be struck with just how blue they were.

 

They were a deep blue that Lexa had never witnessed before.

 

After a second she shook her head clear of her thoughts, refocusing on doing her job.

 

“It might be a little loud but you’ll be safe” Lexa said “Are you ready?”

 

“Yeah”

 

Lexa started to saw the wheel off as gently as she possibly could. She didn’t have time to pause to check on Clarke because every moment they wasted, a leak could spring or Clarke could fall into shock.

 

The wheel came off with relative ease and was removed slowly, she would be bruised but that was all.

 

“Good, you’re doing great” Lexa nodded as she slipped out to the other side of the car before turning to Lincoln “We need to bring this up slowly so we can get the jaws in. The door needs to go so we can safely clear her legs”

 

“We can’t do it without leveling it?” Lincoln asked

 

“We might have a better chance of getting her out, I don’t want to have to try and drag her out because her legs are pinned. That will cause her more damage that what she’s sustained now” Lexa shook her head “Do what I said”

 

“Got it” Lincoln nodded as everyone but 1 paramedic cleared the car so Lincoln could raise it slightly

 

Once that was done, he prepared the Jaws of Life

 

“Okay, one last thing and you will be out of here” Lexa said calmly as she came to the front of the car “We’re using the jaws to clear the door and free your legs. I need you to stay as still as you can but shout if you feel anything, okay?”

 

“Okay”

 

The operation was delicate; Lexa watched on as Lincoln worked to clear the door and after a few minutes he managed to so they could remove it, which instantly unpinned the blonde’s legs.

 

Lexa felt relief wash over her as they helped the paramedics place her onto a backboard.

 

“You did so well, Clarke” Lexa said gently as they moved her to the ambulance “You’re going to be fine”

 

From there, the paramedics took over and put her in the back before speeding away.

 

The police were still questioning the driver as the Engine crew worked hard to secure a small fire that had started near the truck but the immediate danger had been cleared.

 

The blonde girl had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and it had almost cost her dearly.

 

It was nothing short of a miracle that she wasn’t injured further, more to the point dead.

 

Lexa was still completely struck by her eyes.

 

She didn’t understand why or how but she just couldn’t think of anything else now that their job was done.  

 

It had been a long shift, she needed sleep.

 

She took her helmet off, walking to the police officer who was standing next to her car watching the driver being questioned.

 

“Officer Echo” Lexa nodded “What happened?”

 

“He’s been driving for 16 hours” The officer said

 

“He’s so lucky that no one was killed” Lexa growled “That girl should have been crushed; I don’t know how she wasn’t. He better pray that she’s okay internally too”

 

“I know” Echo nodded “We’re going to charge him with everything we can”

 

“Good” Lexa said as she walked back to her truck where her crew were packing up “Once everything is secure, we’ll head back. You all did great”

 

\---

 

 

They had a busy few weeks following that double shift

 

From apartment fires, accidents, slips and falls they had seen a lot but had managed to handle everything that was thrown at them.

 

Lexa had the day off but she was on call should she be needed at the house, she had worked too many days in a row but they couldn’t really afford to keep her off shift.

 

She started the day by rolling out of bed at 9, going for a run at 10 and then heading down to her favourite diner to pick up her favourite breakfast.

 

Everyone knew her in that diner, she was a bit of a neighbourhood hero because she had been born and raised there, with her father and grandfather being locals as well.

 

She pushed the door open on a cold morning; she wiggled her fingers to gain some circulation back before shrugging off her coat and sitting in a booth by herself in the very corner of the room.

 

“The usual?” She heard the chef call out from the kitchen and she nodded with a polite smile

 

She pulled the paper from the side of the booth and opened it up, sweeping her wavy hair to one side and resting her chin on her hand.

 

The diner was pretty busy, it always was but Lexa loved going in and being surrounded by everyone without having to really socialize.

 

Her life was ruled by work so her crew were her both her friends and family but she was quiet and pretty private when it came to her outside life.

 

The Lieutenant caught herself looking up from her paper as she heard laughter from a booth across the diner.

 

She furrowed her eyebrows at the laughter echoing loudly to her from a tanned brunette.

 

Her lips pursed together at the obnoxious sound until her eyes glanced to who she was sitting with and laughing at.

 

It was the blonde from the accident, Clarke.

 

If Lexa was honest, she found herself thinking about Clarke and how she was a few times since that accident.

 

She had considered going down to the hospital a couple of times and just checking to see with the doctors how she had been or if she had suffered any complications.

 

Obviously, sitting across the diner, she hadn’t and Lexa was thankful to see her.

 

Lexa’s French Toast arrived in front of her, a smile on the waitress’ face as she put the plate down gently

 

“Thank you” Lexa said thankfully as she tore her gaze from Clarke before it returned to her quickly

 

She made a split second decision and stood from her booth to walk across the room bravely, stopping in front of the table

 

“I’m sorry to interrupt” Lexa said quietly as she looked to the brunette before turning to the girl she was there to see “Clarke, right?”

 

“Lexa” Clarke replied slowly as a smile appeared over her lips

 

“You remember” Lexa nodded

 

“Of course I remember you” Clarke replied “Uh Lexa, this is my best friend Raven. Raven this is Lieutenant Lexa”

 

“You look good” Lexa said quickly

 

“Well I can probably guarantee that I look better than when you first saw me” Clarke laughed quietly

 

Lexa smiled politely as she squeezed her own hand nervously in front of her

 

She was calm under pressure when saving people’s lives but she felt as if she was struggling to breathe in front of the girl.

 

“I mean you look like you’re healing up” Lexa said gesturing to the small scar above her eyebrow

 

“I am, thank you” Clarke nodded with a smile “You did a really great job”

 

“Thank you” Lexa replied “I uh haven’t seen you around before. I know it’s a big town but I see a lot of people”

 

“I only moved here 4 weeks ago” Clarke said with a sigh “I’m living with Raven here and I’d been here for a week when that truck decided to run that red light. I only had that car for a week too”

 

“You’d rather have your life than a car” Lexa nodded

 

“You’re right there” Clarke said with a warm smile “You should come and join us”

 

“She should?” Raven asked raising her eyebrows

 

“It’s the least I could offer” Clarke replied glancing at her friend before looking back to Lexa with a hopeful smile

 

As she was about to answer, her phone began to ring and she pulled it out of her pocket to see the firehouse number

 

“Actually that looks like I’m being called in” Lexa said with a small frown “But it was good seeing you again and I’m glad you’re okay”

 

“It was good seeing you too” Clarke replied “Hopefully we’ll run into each other again”

 

“Hopefully” Lexa nodded before putting money down on her table and rushing out of the diner

 

\---

 

Lexa was lying on her bed later that week in her office.

 

They had some down time at the start of what was going to be a busy Saturday shift and she was making the most of it.

 

She held a book above her face as she crossed her legs, her shoes still on as they rested above her covers.

 

“Lexa, chief wants to see us” She heard Bellamy say as he opened her door

 

“You could knock before you enter” Lexa said peering over her book to look at her colleague “Do you know what it’s about?”

 

“No I have no clue” Bellamy shook his head “But you know how he feels about waiting so let’s go”

 

She sighed, he was right.

 

After placing her book down, she followed Bellamy to the chief’s office where he was waiting for them with his arms folded as she leaned back in his chair

 

“Chief Jaha” Lexa greeted with a nod “You needed to see us?”

 

“Close the door and sit down please” He said seriously, causing Lexa to look at Bellamy who could only shrug and do what he asked

 

“If this is about food sir” Bellamy began

 

“This has nothing to do with the fact that your crew are cleaning out the entire food cupboard during almost every shift” The Chief shook his head “I’ve just been on the phone with the Commission”

 

“Okay” Lexa nodded, knowing that the Commission rarely called when they had good news

 

“We’re having a restructure”

 

“A restructure?” Bellamy raised his eyebrows “What exactly does that mean?”

 

“Actually not a whole lot for you” Chief Jaha said looking to Bellamy before turning to Lexa “But you Lieutenant have a new team being added to your shift”

 

“A new team?” Lexa asked leaning forward in her chair “Why is it mine?”

 

“The Commission are adding paramedics to Firehouse 56. Which I think makes sense because we haven’t had any stationed here for a long time but they want to see you manage them. So I am under direct orders to have them placed under you” The Chief said “I don’t know why exactly they want them directly under you, I believe they are testing your leadership”

 

“Test Bellamy’s leadership” Lexa protested

 

“Thanks” Bellamy replied rolling his eyes

 

“Chief, I don’t know if I can honestly take on much more at the moment”

 

“You have two paramedics coming in within the next 10 minutes. Apparently the decision to move these two was made this morning so they have had about as much notice as we have” The Chief said “They’ll practically manage themselves but you are ultimately responsible for them”

 

“Who are they?”

 

“I don’t know that yet either, their files haven’t even come across my desk yet” The Chief replied “They are testing you for a reason Lexa and I think if you pass this test they are going to reward you for it”

 

“Great” Lexa noted sarcastically

 

“If you could go and tell everyone, I would appreciate it” The Chief said before turning back to his computer “Make them feel welcome”

 

Lexa looked to Bellamy who just shrugged and decided to take their leave

 

“What the hell is going on?” Lexa asked as they walked away from the office

 

“Your guess is as good as mine” Bellamy said as they reached the common room, where everyone was sitting

 

“In a few minutes we are getting paramedics in Firehouse 56” Lexa said as everyone looked around at each other “They’re going to be based here permanently and I would like you all to be as welcoming as you possibly can be. We’ve only just been notified so we’re in the same situation as you here”

 

“Why would they only tell us now?” Octavia asked “Why not earlier?”

 

“I have no idea” Lexa shook her head “But it’ll be a positive addition to our Firehouse”

 

“Actually that depends who it is” Octavia answered honestly

 

Lexa went out to the garage only moments later with Bellamy when their new ambulance pulled up out the front.

 

“Isn’t that the girl you rescued in that truck accident?” Bellamy asked as Clarke jumped out of the driver’s seat

 

“Yeah” Lexa replied with a furrowed brow

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the love everyone! Hope you like this chapter! Let me know what you think :)

Lexa was a little stunned and surprised.

 

She also kind of thought it added up.

 

Clarke was extremely calm when she was in her accident.

 

She was very specific and she knew what was happening the whole time.

 

Or maybe it was just a giant prank being pulled on her by someone.

 

Bellamy nudged Lexa to bring her back down to earth as she approached the Ambulance where Clarke was unloading a few of her things from the back.

 

“You know, I had I feeling I might have been coming to your house” Clarke said with a small smile as she closed the door

 

“You’re a paramedic?”

 

“I was a little dazed when I was in that accident or I would have handled it better” Clarke replied

 

“You were hit by a truck” Lexa brushed off “So you’re being placed permanently here?”

 

“If that’s okay with you” Clarke nodded with a small smile

 

“Yeah…of course” Lexa replied “You’ll be working as a part of my team”

 

“Well I’m excited” Clarke said with an eager nod as the other girl from the diner emerged from the back of the ambulance with a bag “And so is my partner here”

 

“You’re the other one?” Lexa asked

 

“Depends what you mean” Raven joked before putting her hand out “Nice to meet you in a professional sense”

 

“Uh I’ll help with your stuff” Lexa said shaking Raven’s hand before turning back to Clarke “What can I take?”

 

“This bag would be great” Clarke said as she held out the bag for Lexa

 

Lexa took it with a grunt; it was heavier than what she had expected

 

“Sorry, I’ve just made a few things for everyone seeing as we want to be welcomed” Clarke replied sheepishly  

 

“Bellamy” Lexa called over her shoulder but her eyes stayed locked with Clarke’s “Come and help”

 

“Hi ladies” Bellamy said with his most charming smile, making Lexa roll her eyes “Need a hand?”

 

“Actually, I think we’re good” Clarke nodded before turning to Lexa “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous”

 

“You’ll be fine” Bellamy replied

 

“Everyone is great here” Lexa agreed

 

“And if they aren’t then they’ll have to deal with Lexa and no one wins in that situation” Bellamy joked as he began walking into the firehouse

 

They walked the two girls into the common room but no one made a move to greet them, they just looked at the paramedics as they stood awkwardly in the doorway.

 

“Uh everyone, this is Clarke and Raven our new paramedics” Lexa said “I expect you to make them all feel welcome here because this is their home now too”

 

Both crews mumbled and Clarke looked around awkwardly, which was noticed immediately by Lexa

 

“And Clarke made you animals food” Lexa said holding up the bag in her hand

 

“I made cupcakes, cinnamon scrolls and cookies” Clarke nodded

 

“Oh my god! Welcome!” Octavia exclaimed as she stood holding her hand out to the two girls to shake before taking the bag from Lexa and taking it to the table where everyone followed  

 

“Octavia is the youngest on squad; she’s with me along with Lincoln and Indra. Bellamy is Engine Lieutenant on our rotation; he’s got Finn, Jasper and Monty” Lexa said pointing everyone out one by one “Why don’t I show you around?”

 

“I’d be happy to show Raven around” Finn said moving from the table a grin “If she wants”

 

“Show me the way” Raven said with a smile as she followed Finn down the hallway

 

“Who is Paramedic in charge?” Lexa asked

 

“That’s me” Clarke replied

 

“Okay” Lexa said watching after Raven and Finn “We have a relationships policy that I’m going to need you to inform Raven about”

 

“It’s okay, she is a harmless flirt” Clarke shook her head

 

“I see”

 

“You haven’t been told anything about us?” Clarke asked

 

“I literally found out about you guys coming here less than 10 minutes ago” Lexa shook her head “I’m sure we’ll get your files and everything but I have you here now so I might as well talk to you and find out more about you that way”

 

“Good idea” Clarke nodded “So as fate would have it, I get put in here”

 

“Pretty crazy” Lexa said as she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly “I don’t have anything set up for you yet so do you want to just put your stuff in my office for now and I’ll show you around?”

 

“Yeah, that would be great” Clarke nodded

 

“So when were you cleared to go back to work?” Lexa asked as she began to walk towards her office, Clarke following

 

“Last week but they gave me one more week before starting” Clarke said “I haven’t been in town that long so it was just bad luck that I got hit”

 

“But good luck how you got hit” Lexa said shaking her head “And I mean this in the best way possible but you should have been dead the way that truck caught you”

 

“I know that” Clarke nodded with a sobered expression “And I was given a second chance”

 

“I look forward to working with you though” Lexa nodded “We’re a close group”

 

“I can tell” Clarke said “It might be a bit hard breaking into it”

 

“Maybe but bringing that food was a nice touch” Lexa chuckled to herself as she reached her office, opening the door for Clarke to enter “When did you find out you were being sent here?”

 

“About an hour ago” Clarke shrugged as she put her bag down on Lexa’s bed “We were actually going to Firehouse 34 but then we were told that changed and we were being based in Firehouse 56”

 

“You were going to 34?” Lexa asked with a flat face “They’re a bunch of chauvinist pigs”

 

“I heard they didn’t have the best reputation” Clarke replied

 

“Well what did you hear about us?”

 

“That this place was a tight ship run by one of the youngest Lieutenants”

 

“You heard right” Lexa said with a small smile “Come on, we’ll get you a locker”

 

  ---

 

7 days later Lexa was sitting on her office floor, cross legged against the wall finishing the last pages of her book

 

They were taking the night shift before a well-deserved day off that Lexa was craving.

 

She didn’t have anything in particular she wanted to do but that was the point.

 

Clarke and Raven had been fitting in well with everyone

 

It kind of bugged Lexa a little just how well Clarke was getting along with Bellamy and how much Bellamy loved it.

 

She wasn’t sure why but it annoyed her to the point where she could have taken the feeling as jealousy, which confused her even further.

 

But Clarke spent any spare time Lexa had with her, trying to learn everything about the Firehouse but also learning a bit about Lexa herself.

 

The girls proved themselves as valuable members of the Firehouse in their very first call.

 

Saving a man’s life that would have most certainly died if Clarke and Raven weren’t as quick thinking as they were after a retaining wall had collapsed on him.

 

They worked well as a team and that was something that Lexa valued

 

Lexa’s train of thought was derailed quickly when she heard her name being called through her glass office wall.

 

She looked up from her book and saw a smiling Clarke through the glass with two plates of spaghetti in her hands.

 

Lexa stood quickly, throwing her book on her bed and opening the door for the blonde paramedic.

 

“Hey” Clarke greeted with a bright smile “Dinner was served but I didn’t see you come in so I thought I would bring you some”

 

“Thanks, I lost track of time reading” Lexa said as she took a plate from Clarke “Come on in”

 

Clarke nodded as she stepped into the office, Lexa closing the door behind her and taking her place again on the floor against the wall

 

“Do you mind?” Clarke asked gesturing to Lexa’s bed

 

“Please” Lexa nodded with a small smile as Clarke sat down on her bed, placing her plate on her lap “Thank you, that’s really thoughtful of you”

 

“Well I’ve learnt that food goes really quickly in here”

 

“You do tend to miss out if you don’t move quickly enough” Lexa chuckled

 

“You’ve been in here for a few hours” Clarke noted

 

“I’ve had some reports to complete and I just wanted to finish this book I have been struggling with over the past few days” Lexa replied with a small shrug

 

“I can leave you if you want” Clarke paused

 

“No” Lexa said quickly “It’s okay, I appreciate the company. Sometimes I just need to get away from everyone but I appreciate your company”

 

“Okay” Clarke smiled

 

“To be honest I thought you would be having dinner with Bellamy” Lexa replied

 

“Why did you think that?”

 

“No reason” Lexa shook her head as she failed miserably at covering the tone of jealousy

 

“I wanted to have dinner with you” Clarke nodded “Besides; he is scary when he eats”

 

“He doesn’t chew” Lexa laughed

 

“They all really respect you” Clarke replied “And you’re only 26”

 

“I have a great crew” Lexa countered “And you’re 25”

 

“But you’re a Lieutenant”

 

“You’re paramedic in charge” Lexa shrugged

 

“I’m not third generation though”

 

“So you found that out, did you?” Lexa smirked

 

“I may have” Clarke nodded “Then again that information is easy to find out around here”

 

“Just remember who has access to your file” Lexa joked playfully

 

“That’s true” Clarke sighed before smiling as she looked down at her food “Thank you”

 

“For what?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrows

 

“For helping us settle in so well and for making sure everyone has been welcoming” Clarke replied

 

“You settled yourselves in” Lexa said shaking her head

 

“So I know that you’re a third generation firefighter but I don’t know why you yourself wanted to do this job. I mean it’s not an easy one” Clarke said “And you seem pretty intelligent so you probably could have done whatever you wanted”

 

“I’ve done a good job if I’ve made myself seem intelligent” Lexa joked

 

“But seriously” Clarke pressed

 

“I practically grew up in a firehouse; I spent all of my spare time in here with the crew when my dad was on shift. He was Chief of Firehouse 50 for about 15 years so all my memories of him are in a firehouse. I want to help people, I want to be able to save a life if I can but I just want to be able to give back” Lexa shrugged “I mean, that’s why you are a paramedic, right?”

 

“Yeah” Clarke nodded with a soft smile “I want to be able to make a difference”

 

“We’re a different breed” Lexa nodded

 

“Your family must be really proud of you”

 

“They are but my mom worries about me a lot” Lexa shrugged

 

“Your dad must love it though”

 

“I know he would be” Lexa said with another nod, her eyes suddenly more interested in her food than looking at Clarke “He actually passed just before I graduated from high school”

 

“Oh Lexa, I’m sorry” Clarke said shaking her head

 

“No, it’s not like it was recent or you knew that” Lexa replied as her jaw clenched slightly, fighting off any emotion that was threatening to break through her expression

 

“It’s still your dad” Clarke said “I shouldn’t even be talking about it”

 

“It’s fine” Lexa dismissed “I know he would be proud of me but that’s why my mom worries so much. I’ve seen a lot of loss in this job and been through a lot so I understand why she is worried”

 

“I think all parents worry” Clarke nodded

 

“You are a very capable paramedic who I would be scared to cross” Lexa said with a light chuckle “I mean I was scared for that homeless guy last shift when he tried to steal some of your supplies”

 

“Well you know I have to report that if something goes missing” Clarke replied

 

“So you’re from California originally?” Lexa asked

 

“Lived there my whole life” Clarke nodded

 

“And you just got reassigned here?”

 

“Raven and I wanted a change, we trained together and we have been pretty close ever since. We weren’t working together previously but we were offered a job on the same shift if we were both willing to move” Clarke said “And we had nothing holding us back so we thought we would see how it went”

 

“That’s not a small move” Lexa countered

 

“No but besides being hit by a truck, it’s working out well for me” Clarke shrugged with a grin

 

“Besides that” Lexa rolled her eyes playfully “I’m glad you took it”

 

“Me too” Clarke nodded

 

“I’m still trying to work out why you were placed here though” Lexa said shaking her head “And I can’t figure it out”

 

“Well maybe Raven and I were just supposed to be a part of this team”

 

“Maybe but having you both under me is an interesting situation” Lexa said as she paused, her eyes widening at exactly how she sounded saying that “Wow”

 

“That does sound pretty interesting” Clarke said as she tried to hold a straight face before shaking her head and letting laughter take over

 

Lexa couldn’t help but laugh quietly along with Clarke, not because of what she said but because of the absolute joy Lexa got from seeing the other girl laugh.

 

She didn’t understand that either.

 

She had only known Clarke for a week, why did she care so much?

 

“I’ve never sounded so unprofessional in my life, I’m so sorry” Lexa said with her eyes still wide

 

“It’s okay” Clarke shook her head as she calmed herself down from her laughter “I like this less formal version of you”

 

“I’m your boss” Lexa said awkwardly “That could be reported as inappropriate conduct”

 

“I knew what you meant” Clarke replied “I didn’t take offence to it”

 

**_‘Firehouse 56 Rescue Squad 2, Engine 2, Ambulance 1. Apartment fire 36 Grenich Avenue’_ **

****

“Thanks for dinner” Lexa said as she stood quickly

 

“Any time” Clarke nodded as she moved from Lexa’s bed to rush out of Lexa’s office with her

 

“Where have you been?” Octavia asked as Lincoln sounded the sirens and drove from the firehouse

 

“In my office” Lexa said “Why?”

 

“I just noticed that you and Clarke have been talking a lot” Octavia shrugged “I just thought that maybe she was melting your icy heart”

 

“My heart is not icy” Lexa countered

 

“Maybe not to us but when was the last time you had a date?” Lincoln asked

 

“Really? You’re really asking me that?” Lexa asked turning to her crew member next to her

 

“He has a point” Octavia said before looking at Indra “You agree?”

 

Indra just grunted in agreement and Lexa rolled her eyes

 

“For your information she was bringing me dinner because I missed it. I’m her Lieutenant, it’s all professional” Lexa responded “And she has been around for a week”

 

“Maybe they aren’t testing your leadership as much as they are your resolve” Octavia said “Because I have seen how you look at her and how much you want to punch my brother when he flirts with her”

 

“Enough” Lexa warned firmly as she looked back to Octavia who held up her hands defensively

 

The mood was tense until they arrived at the scene, there was a trash can on fire in front of the apartment but that was the extent of the danger could immediately see.

 

“This is what they class as an apartment fire?” Indra asked as they watched the Engine crew examine the fire to ensure there was nothing nasty in the bin before putting the fire out

 

“What the hell was that?” Bellamy asked walking over to Lexa

 

“An apartment fire apparently” Lexa shrugged “Your guess is as good as mine”

 

“Anyone need treating?” Raven asked as she leaned on the ambulance with a smirk “Smoke inhalation? Trash burns?”

 

“Hey!”

 

Everyone’s attention was directed up to the top of the apartment building where a man with no shirt on and jeans was standing on the edge of the roof

 

“I’m going to do it!” He yelled “I’m going to jump!”

 

“Bellamy get the life net out at the bottom now, secure the area” Lexa said before turning to Octavia “Get a harness and attach yourself to Lincoln after he secures himself. I might need you to take him off the roof if I can’t talk him down”

 

Lexa put her helmet down as she approached the ambulance quickly

 

“We might need something to subdue him” Lexa said looking back up to the apartment “I need one of you up there with us and I need a backboard”

 

“I’ll go” Clarke nodded

 

They quickly moved to the top of the building, thankfully it was only a few stories high so it didn’t take much to get up there.

 

Lexa slowly opened the door to the roof, emerging cautiously with her hands out in surrender as the man’s attention turned to her

 

“I’m not here to hurt you, I just want to talk” Lexa said calmly

 

“Don’t come near me or I’ll jump” The man said with wide eyes as he took a step backwards, closer to the edge

 

“Okay” Lexa nodded as she paused, holding her hand out behind her to stop Octavia, Lincoln and Clarke from moving any further “My name is Lieutenant Lexa, can I ask yours?”

 

“Why do you want to know?”

 

“I just want to make conversation with you” Lexa replied with a forced smile as she took a small step out towards him

 

“Why? I’m going to jump anyway” He said looking down towards the ground but taking a step back in towards Lexa

 

“I don’t think you actually want to do that” Lexa said quietly

 

“You don’t know what I want” He snapped

 

“Have you taken something sir?” Lexa asked as she signaled behind her back for her crew to follow as she took another 2 steps cautiously towards the man “Is there a drug in your system I need to know about?”

 

“I don’t take drugs” He yelled

 

“He has to be on something” Clarke noted quietly “He’s erratic and his pupils are severely dilated”

 

“Stop talking”

 

“Clarke is a paramedic, we just want to help you” Lexa said

 

“You want to take me away” She shook his head

 

“I assure you sir; I don’t want to take you anywhere” Lexa replied seriously “Jumping off this building is not going to solve anything”

 

“You’d be surprised” He said turning back to look out over the street

 

Lexa used the opportunity to move her crew out to the roof of the building from the stairwell, signaling for Octavia to follow her closely as Lincoln secured his line to her.

 

Lexa took more bold steps towards the man until she was just outside of arm’s length when he turned around again.

 

“Get back!” he yelled as he pulled a knife from his pocket, his hand shaking as his heels moved over the edge of the building

 

“Lieutenant” Octavia said cautiously behind her

 

“Hang on” Lexa said shaking her head “Sir, I’m going to ask you one more time to step away from the edge”

 

“You aren’t taking me anywhere”

 

He lunged at Lexa, which was something she didn’t see coming.

 

He swung the knife wildly at her but she managed to catch his arm as he swung, using his momentum against him to grab him and pull him swiftly away from the edge to the ground.

 

He was powerful though and was apparently not feeling any pain, which became extremely alarming to Lexa suddenly when he began to stand in front of her, knife in hand.

 

The next thing she saw though was Octavia running past her and grabbing the guy firmly before taking him over the edge as Lincoln began to lower them down quickly.

 

Lexa heard the crowd that had gathered cheer, knowing that Octavia got him down successfully.

 

She stood quickly to see Octavia standing up, looking to the top of the building and giving Lexa a thumbs up while the Engine Crew subdued him as police moved in and another set of medics brought a stretcher towards him.

 

Lexa exhaled in relief, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to slow her heart rate down.

 

“Your hand” She heard Clarke say behind her before she looked down to see blood dripping from a cut just along the heel of her hand

 

“He must have caught the knife with it” Lexa said bringing it closer to her face for her to inspect as she moved towards the medic “It’s fine”

 

“Let me see” Clarke said as she cradled Lexa’s hand in her own and frowned “It’s bleeding a lot”

 

“I’m okay”

 

“I can see that but I still need to look at that” Clarke said “Come down to the ambulance and I’ll have a closer look”

 

“Okay, yeah” Lexa nodded

 

“You okay?”

 

“I’m fine” Lexa replied as she placed pressure on her cut “That could have ended a lot worse”

 

“But it didn’t” Clarke shook her head as she began to follow Lincoln down the stairs of the apartment complex

 

“And that marks the end of an eventful shift” He heard Bellamy say as they began to pack up the engine

 

“Blake” Lexa called to Octavia as she was taking her harness off next to their truck

 

“Yes Lieutenant?" She asked cautiously as Lexa paused a few feet from her

 

“Thank you” Lexa said seriously “You did well”

 

“Thanks” Octavia said with a grin

 

“Lieutenant, your hand” She heard Clarke say from behind her and she nodded

 

Lexa moved to the ambulance where Clarke opened the back doors for her and sat across from the bed

 

“Come on up” Clarke gestured to the stretcher in front of her and again, Lexa did as she was asked “I’ll clean it up, I don’t think you need stiches but we’ll have to look after this so it doesn’t get infected”

 

“Thanks” Lexa mumbled as she looked out to her crew who were pretending not to watch

 

“You guys handled that really well” Clarke said as she busied herself cleaning Lexa’s hand

 

“He could have done a lot worse” Lexa said shaking her head

 

“But he didn’t and you also got him down safely” Clarke replied “He was clearly very high”

 

“This call definitely didn’t turn out how I expected it to” Lexa noted “And now I have to do all of the paperwork for this”

 

“I thought we would be fighting a fire, well you guys would be anyway”

 

“We’re a team” Lexa shrugged

 

“And you have a really great group here” Clarke said “Which is evident on how Octavia acted up there”

 

“We are” Lexa nodded “I’m definitely lucky to have them all”

 

Clarke patched Lexa up and they went back to the firehouse where the change of shift was happening.

 

After debriefing the Chief, Lexa was in her office still in her uniform as she typed away on her computer furiously

 

“You really shouldn’t be doing that” Clarke said from the doorway

 

Lexa turned around to see Clarke, her hair out with a brown leather jacket, jeans and her duffle bag over her shoulder.

 

“My hand is fine” Lexa said shaking her head “You headed off?”

 

“Well seeing as our shift ended half an hour ago, yep” Clarke smiled

 

“What are you still doing here then?”

 

“I was just talking with Lincoln and Octavia” Clarke replied “You planning on leaving anytime soon?”

 

“I need to get this paperwork submitted to the chief before I can leave” Lexa said with a sigh

 

“I was just going to get some coffee with Raven and thought you might want to come” Clarke suggested

 

“Oh” Lexa paused “Well that’s really nice of you but I might be here a while”

 

“I can wait if you want”

 

“No, it’s okay” Lexa said shaking her head “You don’t need to waste your free time just waiting on me”

 

“It wouldn’t be a waste but okay” Clarke leaned against the doorway with her arms folded “And by the way, we are all lucky to have you too”

 

“I’m sorry?” Lexa crinkled her eyebrows in confusion

 

“You said that you were lucky to have your team before when I was fixing your hand” Clarke explained “Well we are all lucky to have you”

 

“Thank you, Clarke” Lexa nodded appreciatively

 

“And everyone thinks so, even people outside of this firehouse. I mean the staff at that diner I saw you at think you are practically perfect” Clarke chuckled to herself

 

“They knew my dad” Lexa shook her head while her lips curved to a smile

 

“But they know you too” Clarke shrugged as she pushed away from the doorway “Are you sure you don’t want me to wait?”

 

“Thank you Clarke, go enjoy your day off” Lexa said with a nod “We’ll rain coffee”

 

“You too Lieutenant” Clarke smiled “I’ll look at your hand again on Sunday”

 

“I appreciate it”

 

“No problem”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got 3 games of soccer tomorrow but I will try my very hardest to get a new chapter up before the end of the weekend :) I'm just trying to develop these characters a little so please just bare with me. I have a few ideas as to where I want this to go.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the love as per usual! I really love hearing from you and what you think, totally makes my day! 
> 
> This is a pretty big chapter in size and I think content. The next chapter will be pretty big too. 
> 
> Let me know what you think :)

The next 2 months passed by before Lexa even knew what was going on.

 

She and Clarke were beginning to grow close.

 

Closer than what she probably wanted to admit and what she knew she should allow but she couldn’t help it.

 

Something about the paramedic just pulled her in and she couldn’t particularly explain it.

 

Clarke hung out with Lexa in her office quite a bit when Lexa was stuck in there doing paperwork or trying to organize shifts.

 

They usually ate together in the kitchen during meals and Lexa valued Clarke’s opinions when it came to firehouse matters.

 

Clearly everyone else was picking up on what was developing between the Lieutenant and the paramedic in charge but no one was game enough to bring it up considering Lexa’s temper.

 

This week was going to be different though.

 

It was going to be a tough week for everyone.

 

It was going to be especially tough for the Lieutenant.

 

Lexa thought as time went by it would get easier but it didn’t, for her anyway.

 

As she entered the Firehouse silently; her head was down and her hands buried deep in her pockets.

 

She paused at the entrance of the common room in front of the gold plaque that continued to haunt her every day but today was the day it haunted her most.

 

She ran her fingers over the engraving, sighing quietly and she shut her eyes for a moment.

 

She opened her eyes again, clutching at strap of her duffle bag with both hands as it hung over her shoulder.

 

“You should still be here Gustus” Lexa mumbled to herself, shaking her head

 

Lexa couldn’t believe it had been 2 whole years without seeing him.

 

Without hearing his deep laughter or without just having him around Firehouse 56

 

Lexa always told him that he was going to be a part of the furniture one day because he had been there so long.

 

What she didn’t know was how much she wished that had been true. 

 

Lexa gave the plaque one more look before she made her way to the locker room so she could change and get the shift over with.

 

She had arrived early with great purpose to avoid having to talk to anyone before she could get her bearings in the safety of the four walls that was her office.

 

Lexa changed very quickly into her uniform, tying her hair into a tight, high ponytail before walking to her office with her boots in her hands.

 

Lexa shut the door behind her, sighing in relief at the fact that she had made it to her office without anyone noticing.

 

As she sat on her office chair there was a light tap on her door.

 

Lexa looked up from the shoe she was lacing up to see Clarke with a grin on her face

 

“Come in” Lexa said neutrally as she sat up straight in her chair

 

“You’re here early” Clarke replied

 

“So are you” Lexa shrugged

 

“I actually wanted to get my inventory count done”

 

“Why don’t you ask Raven to help you?” Lexa asked “She is a part of your team”

 

“But it’s under my job description” Clarke shrugged

 

“If we all just stuck to our job description then nothing would get done here” Lexa said firmly “Have her help you as soon as she arrives”

 

“Okay” Clarke said nodding, her facial expression clearly showing her confusion “Everything okay?”

 

She didn’t know.

 

Of course she didn’t know.

 

Lexa brought her hand up to run her hand up to rub her forehead with a slight nod

 

“Can you please close my door on the way out?”

 

“Yeah, of course” Clarke replied before she went to back out of the door before pausing “If you need to talk to anyone, I am here you know? You don’t have to always carry everything on your own”

 

“Goodbye Clarke” Lexa clenched her jaw as she felt almost uncontrollable emotion swirl behind her eyes

 

She knew if she talked she would cry.

 

And Lexa didn’t cry.

 

Not in front of anyone.

 

After Clarke left, Lexa sat in front of her computer with her elbows resting on her desk.

 

Her hands were clasped together as she held her thumbs against her lips in thought.

 

Clarke was just trying to be nice, she had no idea what was going on and Lexa made an emotional decision to undeservedly shut her out.

 

Lexa growled lowly at herself, a small sound leaving her throat as she pressed her hands against the desk and pushed herself up from her chair.

 

She opened her door, walking towards the locker room before she paused.

 

She could hear Clarke in the locker room but she could also hear Octavia talking

 

“She can be like that” Octavia spoke quietly

 

“I’m telling you, I’m pretty sure she wanted to grab me and throw me out of her office” Clarke said “I’ve never seen her like that in the time we’ve been here”

 

“Today…is a bit of a different day” Octavia replied

 

“How so?” Lexa heard Raven ask from inside the locker room

 

“I was just coming out of the academy when this happened but Bellamy was here working on Engine” Octavia said quietly before she cleared her throat “2 years ago today they lost one of the oldest serving Rescue Truck crew members, Gustus”

 

“They lost him?” Raven asked

 

“There was a massive structure fire, it was a condemned building but they were told that there were people inside. It was Lexa’s third shift as Lieutenant when this happened. Gustus and everyone wanted to go in but they had to wait on the Chief’s and Lexa’s decision” Octavia said “Bellamy told me that Lexa wanted to go in straight away but she had to wait. They got the all clear to go and they began to search the building but it got pretty obvious that no one was in there”

 

“So someone set it up?” Clarke asked

 

“An arsonist set the fire” Octavia confirmed “Anyway they tried to get out of there as soon as they could but something happened inside that I don’t think anyone but Lexa, the Chief and the commission know really but Lexa couldn’t get Gustus out and she had to leave him”

 

“Oh my god”

 

“Of course no one blamed Lexa, she tried to get him out but she couldn’t. No one blames the Lieutenant but herself so obviously she had to take a few weeks off before coming back to try and deal with it” Octavia said “You know how she is though, she tries to make it look like it doesn’t bother her but obviously today it really is”

 

“On her third shift as Lieutenant?” Raven asked

 

Lexa didn’t need to hear anything further; she didn’t know why she even stayed to hear what Octavia knew.

 

What Clarke now knew.

 

Lexa turned around quickly; she didn’t want to be seen so she marched back to her office once more.

 

She closed the door, leaning her back against it with a sigh.

 

She shut her eyes tightly, trying to dispel images and sounds from that fire that came rushing back swiftly.

 

The Lieutenant moved to her bed, placing her hands over her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling and she didn’t know how long she was there for when she heard yet another knock on her door.

 

Lexa’s gaze shifted to see Chief Jaha at her door through her glass wall and she stood quickly to open the door.

 

“I just wanted to come and check on you”

 

“I don’t need to be checked on, Chief” Lexa shook her head “I’m fine”

 

“I don’t think we need to lie to each other Lieutenant” The Chief replied quietly “I would be more worried if you were okay”

 

“Well I’m fine” Lexa repeated firmly

 

“Before the shift starts” The Chief said as she placed his hand on her shoulder, holding her at arm’s length “I know how you carry yourself and I know how proud you are but before this shift starts, do I need to send you home and have Indra in charge for today?”

 

“No” Lexa responded quickly and surely as her expression steeled “No, I am okay”

 

“Okay” The chief nodded as he held out a sheet of paper for her “Then I need you to brief everyone about today’s shift. They’re all waiting in the common room for you”

 

Lexa gave the Chief a brief nod in reply before making her way out to the common room.

 

Everyone was hushed as soon as Lexa strode into the room

 

Usually she would have to try and gain their attention for a few minutes but not today.

 

“Blake” Lexa said as she nodded to Bellamy who appeared next to her at the front of the room

 

“Lieutenant” He replied shortly

 

“I have enough things on my list for the Rescue Squad today to complete so we are not sitting around bored all day. I imagine that Bellamy has the same for Engine Crew” Lexa said holding up the paper that Chief Jaha presented her a moment ago

 

“This also includes my paramedics. I understand that inventory needs to be done again but Raven you _will_ be helping Clarke on this one and all of them from now on. If you need anything or have any questions about the tasks during the shift, I will be in my office trying to write my monthly report”

 

She looked to her rescue crew who were all sitting silently

 

“Any questions?”

 

She was met with more silence before she walked over to the notice board and pinned up her list of jobs to do before exiting the common room with haste.

 

\---

 

They were 4 hours into their shift and it had been really quiet.

 

No one in firehouse had been called out for any jobs but Lexa was uneasy about that.

 

It was a Friday.

 

For some reason people were really stupid on a Friday and found themselves in trouble that Lexa and her Squad had to get them out of.

 

But today it was quiet.

 

Quiet worried Lexa because it gave her too much time with her own thoughts.

 

Quiet worried Lexa more because it was on quiet days that the worst thing happened.

 

“Call me crazy but you just staring at your computer doesn’t look like reporting” She heard Clarke say from her open door

 

“Well you standing there doesn’t look like inventory to me” Lexa turned her chair around to see Clarke with a plate in her hand

 

“You haven’t left your office yet so I figured you haven’t eaten anything today” Clarke replied as she took a few steps to place the sandwich in front of her on the desk and backed out to the doorway once more “I thought you might be hungry”

 

“I’m…” Lexa began to mumble but paused, appreciating that the blonde in front of her had thought enough of her to bring her something “Thank you”

 

“I had to ask what you liked” Clarke said with a hint of a smile

 

“Thank you, I appreciate it” Lexa said with a nod

 

“Okay well I’ll leave you to it” Clarke replied as she backed out of the doorway, her eyes still locked on Lexa’s

 

“Did Raven help you?”

 

“With inventory?” Clarke questioned

 

“Yes”

 

“She did” Clarke nodded “I think she was too scared not to”

 

“Clarke if we all did things by only by our job descriptions this house would fall apart” Lexa said furthering her earlier comment “We’re a team and she is part of your team so she needs to do little things like that”

 

“She usually does and I don’t mind” Clarke replied “Raven and I are a very good team”

 

“I know you are” Lexa paused “And I’m sorry about earlier”

 

“Oh, don’t worry about it” Clarke waved her off somewhat awkwardly “I get too happy sometimes walking in here and kind of just expect everyone to be in the same mood”

 

“It wasn’t that and I think you know it now” Lexa replied quietly and she saw Clarke nod “So I’m sorry I let my personal feelings get to me”

 

“It’s fine” Clarke replied shrugging “I have thick skin”

 

**_Firehouse 56 Rescue Squad 2, Engine 21, Ambulance 1 Structure Rescue required at 980 Meadow Street_ **

****

“You have to” Lexa said as she stood and began walking with Clarke out to the garage “You’re a paramedic and a good one at that”

 

“Thanks Lieutenant”

 

Lexa left Clarke’s side to step into her gear quickly before jumping into the front seat of the truck with the rest of her crew waiting.

 

“I knew it was quiet” Octavia said shaking her head

 

Lexa didn’t say anything the whole way there and it set the mood for the rest of the squad.

 

She took a moment to clear her head, any thoughts she had about anything else other than the rescue they were about to attempt weren’t going to help her or anyone else.

 

For the sake of everyone else at the scene, she had to focus.

 

When they arrived Lexa noticed straight away that the Engine from Firehouse 34 was sitting there waiting, the crew gathered around the front but not doing anything.

 

“What’s going on here?” Lexa asked as she got out of the truck and approached Bellamy

 

“They were called to help” Bellamy said “Only if we need it”

 

“We don’t need it” Lexa replied as they approached a police officer

 

“The Elevator’s stuck between the 30th and 31st floor with 7 people inside” She said “As far as I’m aware no one is hurt but there is a known asthmatic inside the elevator. We are keeping communication with them and they have only been trapped for 5 minutes”

 

“We’ll secure the elevator” Bellamy said turning to Lexa

 

“Have someone turn the power off in the whole building. I’m not risking going down there if that power isn’t confirmed as off” Lexa said before she turned to her crew who were waiting for instruction “Get your harnesses, we need rope and tools so we can repel down and lift these people out. Clarke and Raven, you are with us. We have an asthmatic and I need a full medical kit with you. I hope everyone has their climbing shoes on because we’re going to the 30th floor to start”

 

Lexa’s Squad moved to do what she had requested; she got her own gear out and approached the Lieutenant of Firehouse 34 as he waited by his truck

 

“What are you doing here?” Lexa asked

 

“We were called to help” Lieutenant Cage Wallace replied folding his arms

 

“We’re the primary responder on this one, so stay out of our way and do what we tell you. Grab some rope, we’re going to need you to help us pull these people up” Lexa said before she turned to her crew behind her who were ready “Let’s move”

 

They began their ascent up the building’s stairs, going as fast as their legs could carry them.

 

Lexa looked back to see her Squad working hard to continue up the stairs and nodded to herself before she continued up.

 

They reached the 30th floor and Lexa felt like her legs were on fire after taking on so many flights of stairs in such a short period of time.

 

Finn and Monty were already up there, laying down on the ground and communicating with the 7 people that were stuck in the elevator through a gap that was wide enough to possibly slip through.

 

“They’re doing okay, the asthmatic guy is starting to panic though” Finn said standing

 

“I’m just waiting on Bellamy to turn the power off and we’ll go in straight away” Lexa nodded

 

“Surely we can slip him out of there” She heard Lieutenant Wallace say as his men arrived

 

“And risk it shifting?” Lexa asked with a perplexed look on her face “Did you actually go through training or did your Dad just get you in this position again?”

 

“It’s not going to shift” He replied shaking his head “And if you had better judgment, you would agree with me. That’s what happens when a woman runs a firehouse”

 

“Hey” Lexa heard Raven call from behind her

 

“That has nothing to do with anything relevant here” Lexa replied shaking her head

 

“Elevator is secure” Bellamy said over the radio “Power being cut now”

 

“We move to the 32nd floor and we repel from there” Lexa said ignoring Lieutenant Wallace “Let’s secure our lines and harness up so we can be ready”

 

Everyone did as they were told, Lexa harnessed herself up along with Lexa as Lincoln and Indra made sure their lines were secured.

 

“Lieutenant we can’t wait that much longer” Clarke said shaking her head “He’s bound to start panicking soon”

 

“I know” Lexa nodded as she held her radio “Blake, what’s happening with this power?”

 

“We’re trying” He replied a few moments later

 

“I need you to try harder” Lexa said as she looked to Clarke “Get a harness on, I might need you down there with me”

 

“Okay” She nodded before turning to Indra who threw her a harness

 

Not a minute later, the power cut and Lincoln budged open the elevator shaft doors.

 

Lexa repelled herself down straight away, landing on the elevator roof softly before signaling Lincoln to hold off.

 

“I need bolt cutters, the top of the elevator is locked” Lexa said in a frustrated tone “How that happened is beyond me”

 

Lincoln repelled down with the bolt cutters and once they got the lock off, they opened the top of the elevator to find everyone looking up at them in the cramped space.

 

“Who’s the asthmatic?” Lexa asked

 

A short, older main raised his hand and Lexa nodded as she climbed down into the already crowded elevator before putting a harness on him and he was the first one to be rescued.

 

One by one they lifted them out of the elevator before the elevator was empty and Lexa was the last to make her way back up to the 32nd.

 

“How’s the asthmatic?” Lexa asked approaching Clarke as soon as she unclipped herself from her harness

 

“He’s fine” Clarke nodded “They’re all in good shape so we don’t have to transport anyone”

 

“Great” Lexa replied as she took off her helmet “Good work”

 

“What was up with Lieutenant Wallace?” Clarke asked raising her eyebrows

 

“He could have been your boss if you went to 34” Lexa said with a half-smile as she looked around the room “But I’m glad I got you instead”

 

\---

 

Lexa was waiting by Clarke’s car at the end of their shift.

 

They had been called out to a few dumpster fires that afternoon but for the rest of their shift, it was pretty quiet.

 

Lexa looked down at her shoes, suddenly becoming very distracted as she considered whether she was making a mistake by doing what she was about to.

 

She heard Clarke talking with Finn as she pushed through the firehouse doors and Lexa couldn’t help but smile as she heard the sound of her laughter.

 

Clarke spotted Lexa and said goodbye to Finn before she began approaching her Lieutenant

 

“Aren’t you freezing out here?” Clarke asked with a soft smile “You left a while ago”

 

“I was waiting for you” Lexa admitted quietly as she moved a hand from her pocket to tug on the grey beanie warming her head

 

“If I had known you were waiting, I wouldn’t have talked with Octavia for so long” Clarke replied shaking her head

  
“It’s okay” Lexa shrugged sheepishly

 

She wasn’t used to being shy; it was something that didn’t usually happen.

 

“What can I help you with Lieutenant?” Clarke asked as she stopped in front of the brunette

 

“Do you have plans tonight?”

 

“Well Raven has a date so my plans were going to be sitting at home and watching trashy TV” Clarke replied “Why?”

 

“I was hoping I could take that coffee rain check” Lexa admitted “Make up for how I was today”

 

“I’d like that” Clarke replied with a soft smile

 

“Meet you outside the diner?”

 

“I’ll follow” Clarke nodded

 

“Okay” Lexa smiled, her eyes looked down to her laces again for a moment before she moved to her car

 

It was a short drive to the local diner; it was just after 9pm so it was pretty empty.

 

Lexa slipped into her favourite booth as the staff greeted her and Clarke moved to sit across from her.

 

“Seriously you are like a celebrity here” Clarke chuckled

 

“I’ve come here at least once a week ever since I was younger” Lexa said with a small smile “My dad used to come here a lot”

 

“Very cool” Clarke nodded

 

“So Raven is on a date tonight?” Lexa asked

 

“And don’t worry, it’s not anyone from our firehouse” Clarke said with a small smirk playing on her lips

 

“Good to hear because I don’t want to have to deal with that paperwork”

 

“Speaking of Firehouses, 34?” Clarke said as she slipped her gloves off and placed them on the table in front of her

 

“Lieutenant Wallace has a chip on his shoulder” Lexa said shaking her head “And he doesn’t take too well that I made Lieutenant before he did and I’m almost 10 years younger than him”

 

“So you two know each other?” Clarke asked

 

“He started at the academy when I was there” Lexa nodded “And his Father Dante Wallace is on the commission”

 

“Is that why he’s a Lieutenant?”

 

“You tell me, what did you think of his performance today?” Lexa asked

 

“He would have gotten someone cut in half” Clarke replied shaking her head

 

“Exactly” Lexa replied “But you and Raven continue to impress me”

 

“Thank you” Clarke nodded “That really means a lot”

 

“I know you both take pride in your work and you can see it” Lexa said “I was hesitant to have you both on my rotation but you proved me wrong very quickly”

 

“I’m glad”

 

“And I should apologize to Raven next shift” Lexa said tugging on her beanie once more near her ear

 

“Don’t worry about it” Clarke shook her head

 

“Everyone kind of got the bad side of me today” Lexa sighed shaking her head

 

“Remember how I said that you didn’t need to carry everything yourself?” Clarke asked quietly as she leaned forwards slightly towards Lexa

 

Lexa nodded, swallowing thickly as the waitress approached to take their orders

 

“What will it be Lieutenant?” She asked with a small smile

 

“Coffee for me please” Lexa nodded looking to Clarke

 

“Tea please”

 

“Tea?” Lexa asked smirking as the waitress walked away

 

“If I have coffee now, I won’t sleep” Clarke laughed

 

“You could have said no to our rain check” Lexa said shaking her head “I mean you probably have better things to do than hang out with your grumpy Lieutenant. I’m sorry”

 

“No I totally wanted to hang out with you” Clarke said nodding confidently “Plus we aren’t on shift so technically you aren’t really my boss right now”

 

“Yes I am” Lexa laughed

 

“I’m not taking orders from you” Clarke challenged

 

Lexa smiled before looking down to the placemat in front of her

 

Her face sobering steadily

 

“I heard Octavia telling you and Raven today why I was so quiet” Lexa said as she took a deep breath “And I want to tell you about it and tell you the whole truth so you know I wasn’t just being a jerk but I’m not sure how to. I haven’t spoken about this since I was put back on active duty”

 

“How long were you off active duty?” Clarke asked as her tea was placed in front of her, giving the waitress a smile to thank her

 

“A month” Lexa nodded “Which was longer that I wanted but apparently I needed it”

 

“Makes sense” Clarke replied “When you deal with traumatic things you need to give yourself time”

 

“When I have time, I think about it” Lexa shook her head “It was a horrible month”

 

“So Gustus was on Rescue Squad?” Clarke asked “It looked like he served for a while”

 

“How did you know that?” Lexa asked as the lump grew in size in her throat

 

“I read the plaque” Clarke said carefully

 

“Right, yeah” Lexa nodded “I go past it every day and remember even though I try to forget”

 

“It’s a nice gesture though”

 

“Of course it is” Lexa nodded firmly “Gustus was on the rescue squad for as long as I could remember. He was on probation while my dad was Lieutenant at his Firehouse before he was transferred to 56 so he really helped me when I first came through having that much experience. He was close with my dad so he really took me under his wing and looked after me when I thought I didn’t need it, but I did.”

 

“That’s a long time” Clarke nodded, trying to find words to comfort Lexa with

 

“It kind of just added to the whole thing, you know?” Lexa replied shaking her head “He was the last link I had to my dad here and when he died, that kind of did too”

 

“Can I ask what happened?”

 

“Octavia was right” Lexa said as she forced a smile but it faltered “No one else knows what happened outside of myself, the Chief and the Commission that I had to report to”

 

“Well you don’t have to tell me” Clarke offered gently before she took a sip of her tea

 

“It’s been 2 years, I should be able to talk about it” Lexa scoffed to herself

 

“What you went through wasn’t small though”

 

“It was a quiet Wednesday overnight shift and I still remember being so bored in my new office, it was my third shift when we got the call. It was Indra, Gustus, and a few other guys who have since retired and myself on our squad. A few different units were called out to an abandoned lot where squatters tend to sleep” Lexa nodded

 

“We were told it was a structure fire and there were possible people inside but that was it. We got there and found out it was a condemned building, which made everything so much more complicated”

 

“You knew that when you showed up?”

 

“I knew it before we arrived because I recognized the address. We had to jump through all types of loopholes just to be able to go inside. I wanted to straight away because what the officers in suits don’t realize is that they might be clearing us to go in for our own safety but the longer we waited the weaker the structure became” Lexa said with a bewildered expression on her face

 

“Honestly it’s common sense”

 

“That’s what I thought. We suited up and we waited even though Gustus and I wanted to go in straight away because if people were in there, we wanted to save them. Once we got the all clear, we went in and by that stage the engine guys had already started trying to battle the fire. It was hotter than anything I had ever experienced before and it became very clear extremely quickly that the fire was set on purpose” Lexa had to pause for a moment to gather her thoughts as they shifted back to that day

 

“It also became clear as we moved that there was no one in there. Which was great news for us because it meant that we could turn around and go back but because we had waited for so long, the building began collapsing. Indra was with the other group so they got out quicker than we did and our exit was blocked anyway. We’d looked at the blueprints while we waited so we had another exit to get to”

 

“So it was just you and Gustus?” Clarke questioned

 

“In hindsight we probably shouldn’t have split up but it was a big space to cover and it wouldn’t have ended any differently with more of us. If anything it could have been worse” Lexa spoke shakily

 

“I turned back to Gustus for a moment to see him wide eyes and then I remember him pushing me out the way, as hard as he could. The air was knocked out of me as I landed flat on my back a few feet away from him. The next thing I heard was a huge crash that sent me back even further again and Gustus was gone. His alarm sounded immediately, the ceiling had collapsed on him and he’d pushed me out the way to save my life. I called for him a few times but knew he was gone. I tried to dig him out but I knew if I stayed I would die too and what he did would have been a waste”

 

“And you were 24 when this happened?” Clarke asked, all expression had fallen from her face

 

“I was 24” Lexa confirmed “I came out of the building just as where we were collapsed even further. I had minor burns but I was fine”

 

“Lexa I’m so sorry” Clarke replied as she leaned over to touch the brunette’s hand quickly with her own before pulling it away

 

“I’ve replayed that every day ever since it’s happened just before I go to sleep” Lexa said looking down to the black liquid in mug in front of her “And I can never come up with a way to save him. I always wonder why he was the one who died in there and not me”

 

“You can’t think like that though”

 

“I honestly don’t know how I just got through telling you that” Lexa said exhaling a deep breath “And you probably think I’m a basket case now”

 

“Not at all” Clarke replied “I don’t know how you still do what you do”

 

“You would have seen some pretty bad stuff” Lexa shrugged “How do you do it?”

 

“I just think that I can keep going because I need to save lives”

 

“That’s how I try and think too”

 

“Thank you for telling me that” Clarke replied “I know that was huge for you to do so”

 

“If you could just keep that to yourself, I would appreciate it” Lexa said glancing up at the paramedic

 

“Of course” Clarke nodded as a small smile appeared on her face “You know we have known each other for a few months now and I think that’s the most I have ever heard you talk”

 

“I tend to keep to myself a little” Lexa agreed

 

“That’s an understatement” Clarke shook her head “I hardly know anything about you outside of work to be honest”

 

“My life has been my work for the past few years”

 

“But there has to be a Lexa outside of Lieutenant Lexa” Clarke challenged

 

“Well what do you want to know?” Lexa asked “Whatever you want”

 

“Favourite colour?”

 

“You can ask me whatever you want and you ask me what my favourite colour is?” Lexa asked smirking as she leaned back in her seat

 

“I’m trying to get the overall picture of you” Clarke teased “So?”

 

“Green” Lexa shrugged “Blue is a close second”

 

“What shade of Green and Blue?”

 

“That’s a bit intense, Clarke” Lexa joked weakly

 

“You said whatever I wanted” Clarke pressed with a winning grin

 

“I don’t know, green like a rainforest and blue like your eyes” Lexa said casually before pausing with wide eyes after she realized what had just left her mouth “I mean”

 

“Good choice” Clarke winked jokingly, trying to ease Lexa’s embarrassment

 

“I’m so sorry” Lexa said shaking her head “That’s twice now you could report me for inappropriate conduct”

 

“Well good thing we aren’t on shift then” Clarke replied “My favourite colour is green too”

 

“Well I think we’ve really learnt about each other a lot today” Lexa joked awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her neck, looking down at the table

 

“Do you have any siblings?”

 

“Just me” Lexa replied “You?”

 

“Same here” Clarke nodded

 

“So how did your parents feel about you moving all the way to Washington DC when you’re their only child?”

 

“They were fine, it was a good opportunity for Raven and I to move so they are completely fine” Clarke shrugged “And besides, I’m 25 so I’ve established I can manage okay on my own”

 

“You’re still their only child though” Lexa shrugged “What do they do?”

 

“My Mom’s a surgeon and my Dad’s a vet”

 

“So you guys have all things covered. Your mom will take the flu case, you’ll take the traumatic emergency and your dad will take the sick cat” Lexa smiled “That is one hell of a family”

 

“It is” Clarke laughed as she nodded

 

“I never asked, how long did it take for you to recover from that accident?” Lexa asked

 

“Well because you guys did all the right things, I only had bruising, some small cuts and that gash on my head but that was about it” Clarke shrugged “It wasn’t long at all”

  
“I kind of wished we met under different circumstances” Lexa said quietly

 

“I’m don’t” Clarke shook her head

 

“And how do you figure that one?”

 

“Well I’m glad it was you because you handled it really well and I was pretty impressed” Clarke shrugged “So I was hoping I would be assigned to your house, which I knew was a long shot but I’m glad it happened”

 

“I guess I kind of see your logic” Lexa chuckled “Kind of”

 

“Thank you for having coffee with me” Clarke said after a few moments of silence had passed between them “I know you don’t tend to share much and what you’ve said won’t leave this booth but thank you for trusting me”

 

“Well thank you for letting me tell you all that stuff” Lexa replied “But I’m still not convinced you don’t think I’m a basket case”

 

“I don’t” Clarke offered quickly, not skipping a beat in her reply “I think you are probably the sanest person in that firehouse”

 

“I would actually agree” Lexa said with a smile “They’re a different bunch”

 

“But honestly you are the reason why it’s so great working in 56” Clarke confessed “Everyone respects you, you’re tough but you’re fair and your favourite colours are blue and green”

 

“Okay, that can’t leave this table either” Lexa warned playfully with a smirk

 

“Your secret is safe with me” Clarke replied bowing her head slightly

 

Clarke stifled a yawn behind her hand as she pushed her tea cup in front of her

 

“I agree” Lexa smiled warmly “I think it could be time to brave that cold and get home”

 

“It’s been a long day”

 

“It’s always a long day” Lexa joked

 

They begrudgingly put their layers back on before venturing out to the freezing cold from the warmth of the diner.

 

Lexa felt her nose tingling almost immediately as she walked Clarke to her car and pausing awkwardly as Clarke turned to her.

 

“So I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon” Lexa said as she took a step away from Clarke

 

“No, Lexa just wait” Clarke said as she held her arms out to pull the Lieutenant into a hug

 

The hug was stiff at first, Lexa had her arms down by her side for a moment before she relaxed slightly and brought them to wrap around Clarke’s waist.

 

She felt Clarke rub her back gently for only a few seconds before she pulled away from the hug, holding Lexa at arm’s length

 

“If you need to talk, you know now you can talk to me” Clarke said as Lexa ducked her head “Hey”

 

Clarke tugged gently and playfully on the back of Lexa’s beanie so she would look up

 

“I know, thank you” Lexa replied with a small nod as her eyes met Clarke’s once more “I’ll see you tomorrow”

 

“Goodnight Lexa” Clarke said with a half-smile, shaking her head

 

“Goodnight Clarke” Lexa returned

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked it, I'll update soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for sticking with this story! I'm loving developing this story so I hope you keep reading as I go :)
> 
> I wanted to get this posted before i went to bed so please let me know what you think of this chapter :) Hope you've had a great weekend!

It was the evening before the annual District Firefighters BBQ.

 

Rescue Squad 2, Engine 21, Ambulance 1 were all on an overnight shift in Firehouse 56 until the morning of the BBQ, which meant that Lexa and Bellamy were instructed that they had no reason to miss it.

 

And if she had to suffer then the rest of her crew were going to have to suffer with her.

 

She didn’t mind the BBQ, it was a good day for the community to mix with those who kept them safe and it was good for the Firefighters to get to know those in their community.

 

It was the politics and the other Firehouses that she hated having to deal with.

 

Mostly Firehouse 34.

 

It had been a few weeks since the 2 year anniversary of Gustus’ passing so Lexa felt the black cloud hanging over her lessen a little as she tried to put it behind her.

 

Having Clarke’s support and her ear to listen certainly helped.

 

Lexa found herself watching TV out on the couch with Clarke, the rest of the common room empty and dark.

 

The Lieutenant placed a great deal of trust in the paramedic ever since she had told her about Gustus that night in the diner and it was reflected in how she spent a lot of her free time in the house with her.

 

People were starting to notice but Lexa knew they wouldn’t be game enough to actually ask about it.

 

The screen was growing increasingly blurry as Lexa tried to keep her eyes open while an infomercial played quietly.

 

It was 3am and Lexa should have been asleep but for some reason that night, she just couldn’t.

 

So Clarke agreed to watch TV with her until she was tired enough to go to sleep because Indra was the one who was supposed to be staying awake for those few hours in case they were needed on a call.

 

Clarke was pretty tired and Lexa could see that.

 

But she wouldn’t leave the other girl to go to bed, even though Lexa told her she should.

 

They had been dealing with a lot of calls over the past few weeks and clearly the volume they were taking in was a lot more than Clarke had ever dealt with before.

 

But they were handling it well, as per usual.

 

Clarke fell asleep next to Lexa almost immediately, her head leaning on the Lieutenant’s shoulder as she slept soundly.

 

Lexa pulled the blanket up over them both as they sat close together and prayed that no one would come out and see.

 

She didn’t want to answer questions but mostly she didn’t want to have to move from her position.

 

The Lieutenant enjoyed having the warmth of Clarke next to her, hearing her breathe quietly and steadily next to her.

 

**_Firehouse 56 Ambulance 1 Knife wound victim in apartment Complex 67/409 Regal Crescent_ **

****

Clarke’s head lifted immediately and she stood from the couch quickly to rub her eyes

 

“You okay?” Lexa asked with a raspy voice

 

“I’m glad I had that little nap” Clarke nodded as she watched Raven emerge into the garage, putting her jacket on “You should go to bed”

 

“Good luck” Lexa nodded as she pulled the blanket closer to her body

 

Lexa saw Raven give Clarke a questioning look and Clarke just shook her head in dismissal as they got into the ambulance.

 

The sirens sounded as they exited the garage and Lexa listened out until they were so faint that she couldn’t hear them any longer.

 

She didn’t realize she had fallen asleep until she felt a gentle hand shaking her and saw a smiling Clarke in front of her.

 

“That was quick” Lexa yawned

 

“It’s 5am” Clarke chuckled “We’ve been gone for almost 2 hours”

 

“What happened?”

 

“A guy was moving around his apartment with the lights off in the kitchen, knocked a knife off the bench and it landed in his foot” Clarke replied “He won’t be doing that again for a while”

 

“Ouch” Lexa said, her voice croaky with exhaustion

 

“You should get to your actual bed” Clarke said “That’s where I’m headed”

 

She heard Raven scoff behind her as she walked past the couch

 

“Your bed or hers” She offered

 

“Reyes” Lexa said turning her neck to face the other paramedic 

 

 “I’m sorry” Raven said gruffly as she held her hands up defensively

 

Lexa nodded as Raven began walking away and Clarke cleared her throat quietly

 

“I’m sure I’ll see you soon” Clarke nodded as she moved towards the bunks

 

\---

 

At the end of the shift the next morning, Lexa gathered everyone in the common room before they could leave.

 

“Don’t forget the BBQ today at 1pm” Lexa said “I’ll see you all there because I know you are all going. If you don’t show up, you know what you’ll get”

 

“Bathrooms” Everyone groaned and Lexa smirked with a nod

 

“See all of your shining, willing faces in a few hours” Lexa replied as everyone stood and began to slowly leave the room

 

“Okay I need to ask you a favour” Raven said as she approached Lexa at the front of the room

 

“What do you need?” Lexa asked

 

“My parents are here this weekend and I have to go pick them up from the airport this afternoon” Raven said

 

“Are they actually here or are you just trying to get out of this?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrows

 

“No I swear” Raven replied with her hand over her heart “And I know we are all supposed to be there…”

 

“It’s okay” Lexa nodded “Pick up your parents”

 

“Thank you” Raven said with a grin “You’re the best”

 

“I’ll see you Sunday” Lexa nodded as Raven followed the rest of her crew out of the room

 

“So why does everyone not want to go to this thing?” Clarke asked from the couch

 

Lexa looked down to see Clarke still sitting in front of her with her duffle bag up on the couch next to her

 

“Well you’ll have to see to find out” Lexa offered with a small smile “It’s not that bad, just dealing with some of the people there isn’t so fun”

 

“So Firehouse 34 will be there then?”

 

“Cage Wallace and his fine men will be there” Lexa nodded

 

“Is that why you don’t want to go?” Clarke asked

 

“I love my job, I love being able to save lives” Lexa said “But I don’t love the political side of it. The Chief always tells me that I have to engage in it if I ever want to be Chief but I don’t feel the need kiss someone’s ass just because they are on the commission”

 

“Well I know who I’m hanging with all day” Clarke laughed

 

“It’s not that bad” Lexa shook her head “I’m just making it out to be”

 

“So 1pm then?”

 

“I will see you there” Lexa nodded

 

“That you will Lieutenant” Clarke replied as she finally stood from the couch

 

\---

 

Lexa arrived at 12:59pm on the dot.

 

The park was a hive of activity with Firefighters and their families as well as people from the community.

 

She got out of her car and spotted Bellamy who was seated alone, moving immediately towards his location.

 

“You’re eager” Lexa joked as she sat down next to Bellamy

 

“Thought I should set a good example” Bellamy joked as he looked to his watch “You’re a minute early, what’s going on there?”

 

“Thought I should set a good example” Lexa smirked looking to her fellow Lieutenant “This should be fun”

 

“You know that the Commission would love you if you actually bothered to talk with them” Bellamy replied

 

“No they want me to tell them how great of a job they are doing” Lexa shook her head as she spotted a few of the Commission, including Dante Wallace “And as long as that guy is around, I’m not going to lie just so they can increase their ego”

 

“You can’t just suck that up and play the game?” Bellamy asked “You’d be Chief in the blink of an eye”

 

“I like my squad, I like my chief” Lexa shrugged

 

“For a rule stickler, you seem to be rebelling on this one” Bellamy said nudging the other girl gently

 

“Yeah well some things are meant to be rebelled against”

 

“What about another policy?” Bellamy asked raising his eyebrows

 

“What are you talking about?” Lexa asked

 

“I think you know”

 

“Okay so everyone failed to tell me the number of people that were going to be here” Clarke said as she sat down across from Lexa, pushing a mass of blonde hair from her eyes “And how hard it would be to find anyone”

 

“Well I did say it was a big event” Lexa shrugged before turning to the paramedic with a smile “Glad you found it though”

 

“Me too” Clarke said with a sigh “I did not want to be doing bathrooms”

 

“I wouldn’t either” Bellamy shook his head

 

“Well where is everyone else?” Clarke asked “It’s 1:01pm”

 

“Oh I’m all over that” Lexa said nodding before pointing “But it looks like Octavia and Lincoln have arrived together”

 

“Are you going to make them fill out a relationship statement?” Bellamy asked with a grin “You know, for being in the same car together”

 

“Well maybe I will” Lexa shot back

 

“Sorry we are late!” Octavia said as she rushed to the table and sat next to Lexa “But we are here so you can’t make us do bathrooms”

 

“You _are_ late” Lexa said in a deadpanned tone

 

“1 minute late” Lincoln replied as he joined them

 

“Still late” Lexa joked with a smirk

 

The rest of their Firehouse arrived pretty swiftly after that, Lexa didn’t mind that they were late.

 

She just cared that they actually made the effort to attend.

 

“I was wondering whether you guys were going to show up” Cage Wallace said as he approached the table with a smile

 

“All here” Lexa said nodding “So now you can’t go and run to your dad telling him we didn’t turn up”

 

“Do you really think that little of me?” He said feigning hurt

 

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

 

“What do you want, Wallace?” Bellamy asked

 

“Nothing, I was just coming to say hi” Wallace said “Anything wrong with that?”

 

“Well, you’ve said hi so you can go now” Lexa replied shaking her head

 

“How are the new paramedics working out?” Wallace asked looking to Clarke “Unfortunate that you got assigned to 56, your career would have benefitted more from being at 34”

 

“56 is perfect” Clarke shrugged with her arms folded

 

“Clarke is actually happy to work to earn her place” Lexa defended

 

“I guess it makes sense seeing as half your house is female” Wallace shrugged with a smirk

 

“If that’s supposed to be an insult?” Bellamy questioned “Because I think all you’re doing is just proving that we have a better house than you ever will”

 

“I’m just saying that I’ve never abandoned someone in a structure fire that killed them while I’ve been Lieutenant” Wallace said as his smirk grew

 

Lexa stood from the table quickly and Wallace visibly flinched while Bellamy grabbed Lexa’s arm to prevent her from moving

 

“Oh and also Lieutenant, your position is officially under review but you’ll find that out when you get to work tomorrow” Wallace said “So I wouldn’t do anything stupid right now”

 

“Under review?” Octavia asked standing “What are you talking about?”

 

“You’ll find out tomorrow” Wallace said with his eyes glued on Lexa “But from Lieutenant to Lieutenant I thought I would let you know”

 

“Go run back to daddy” Lexa snapped as she clenched her fist next to her side

 

Wallace did just that; he walked away and went straight to his dad and his other fellow Commission members.

 

“You want me to play the game?” Lexa asked looking up to Bellamy “I’ll go talk to them right now”

 

“How about we go and get some food?” Clarke asked standing and moving in front of Lexa “You must be hungry”

 

“I’m not” Lexa said flatly as she looked over at Cage Wallace, her eyes narrowing

 

“You should go” Octavia said “Walk it off, boss”

 

“Did you not hear what he said about Gustus?” Lexa asked looking to Octavia

 

“We all heard it” Indra said gruffly “But that won’t help”

 

“It might make me feel better though”

 

“No it won’t” Indra shook her head

 

Lexa sighed deeply, they were all right but she didn’t really want to just let it go

 

“Come on” Clarke said as she grabbed Lexa’s wrist and began walking

 

Lexa pulled her hand away from Clarke gently after a few steps to bury her hands in her pockets

 

“So this has been fun” Clarke said awkwardly

 

“He has some nerve” Lexa growled “Saying that I abandoned Gustus?!”

 

“I know but he obviously knows how to strike a nerve with you” Clarke replied “And it wasn’t right for him to say that at all but the only reason why he said anything like that was to get to you”

 

“Well he picked the wrong thing to say”

 

“So what are you going to do?” Clarke challenged “Go and punch him in front of the Commission and all of these families?”

 

“Punch, kick, break, maim” Lexa shrugged “Any of these options work for me”

 

“Okay then” Clarke said with wide eyes “This is going to be a longer walk than I thought”

 

They walked to the very edge of the park, sitting down in front of a pond that was far away from the festivities of the Firefighter BBQ.

 

Clarke knew the very best thing for Lexa was some time and distance from everyone else.

 

“Can I go back now?” Lexa asked looking backwards at the BBQ “He’s got to leave his Dad soon enough”

 

“Do you think that Wallace was serious about you being on review?” Clarke asked

  
“I don’t know” Lexa shook her head with a sigh as she looked to the paramedic next to her “Probably”

 

“Well then you can’t do anything” Clarke said firmly

 

“If I’m on review that I’m probably in trouble already” Lexa said shaking her head

 

“But you didn’t do anything wrong” Clarke replied

 

Lexa didn’t reply, she just nodded with a sigh as she looked out to the pond

 

“I’ve worked too hard for someone to come and take that from me” Lexa mumbled

 

“You have” Clarke said “And you haven’t done anything wrong so why would they have a reason to remove you?”

 

“If they wanted one bad enough I’m sure they could find one”

 

“Lexa you practically hold 56 together yourself” Clarke said “If you were gone then the house would follow you. All you need to do while you are under review, if you are under review, is just lay low”

 

“I don’t hold the house together” Lexa replied shaking her head “You all do that yourselves”

 

“Well I don’t know if I would still be in DC if you weren’t here and I was assigned to 34” Clarke replied shrugged “You didn’t have to be nice to us and welcome us like you did but on short notice you made us a part of your family”

 

“It wasn’t difficult” Lexa mumbled “Sorry for flying off the handle”

 

“It’s okay”

 

“And thank you for bringing me out here” Lexa said with a nod “He just has no idea what it’s like…what actually happened with Gustus”

 

“I know” Clarke nodded

 

“I’ll just be lost if I get suspended or something after being reviewed” Lexa said shaking her head “I don’t know how to do anything else”

 

“Talk to the Chief tomorrow” Clarke said “Try and enjoy the rest of the day if you can”

 

“Yeah because it’s such a magical event” Lexa chuckled as she looked to Clarke again, her eyes glancing down to the blonde’s lips before flickering up to match her gaze

 

“It hasn’t been that bad” Clarke laughed “I mean when I go back to the apartment I get to deal with Raven’s parents and tell them why I don’t have a boyfriend”

 

“Why do you have to tell them that?” Lexa asked raising an eyebrow curiously

 

“Raven and I have lived together for a long time so they’ve kind of adopted me” Clarke answered as he smile grew “And they’re super conservative so they always wonder why I don’t have a boyfriend when I’m single”

 

“Raven’s parents are conservative?” Lexa asked “How did they get Raven then?”

 

“Yeah I know, the apple fell well away from that tree”

 

“It fell in a different state” Lexa laughed

 

“She’s really different around her parents” Clarke smirked “If you ever need cheering up, just come along to our apartment while they are there and watch her squirm”

 

“That does sound pretty funny” Lexa replied “What do they think about Raven being single then?”

 

“They are pushing a few guys on her that are family friends in Cali” Clarke answered “But she’s dating like 3 guys at the moment out here so she isn’t going to settle down anytime soon. Which I should add practically gives them a heart attack”

 

“So they know she’s dating 3 different guys?”

 

“Oh god no” Clarke chuckled “That really would give them a heart attack”

 

“Well good thing you are paramedics then”

 

“Good thing” Clarke sighed

 

“Thank you for this” Lexa said “I needed it”

 

“I know you did” Clarke replied “That’s why we are far away from everyone else”

 

“How do you feel about bugs?”

 

“What?” Clarke asked looking at Lexa with a perplexed expression

 

“I’m not asking because I want to know if you are anti or pro bugs” Lexa said as she leaned over, reaching her hand to grab a small bug that had fallen onto her shoulder before holding it in front of the blonde “See”

 

Clarke shuddered as she looked at the bug in front of her

 

Lexa put it down in the grass near her gently before turning back to Clarke whose eyes were fixed on her own lips.

 

A sudden nervousness hit Lexa as Clarke reached her hand out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, causing an involuntary shiver to extend down her spine.

 

Lexa didn’t know what happened next or who initiated it (Though she was fairly sure it was her) but she found her lips meeting Clarke’s in a soft, tentative kiss.

 

She felt Clarke grip the back of her neck gently as their lips separated, only to join again in another kiss.

 

Lexa internally cursed herself but she pulled away from what had been the best unexpected kiss she had ever had.

 

Probably just the best kiss she had ever had period.

 

Clarke dropped her hand from Lexa’s neck and scooted back with wide eyes

 

“I’m so sorry” Clarke said shaking her head “I don’t know what just happened”

 

“No it’s okay” Lexa said quietly “That was mostly me”

 

“I can’t believe I just did that” Clarke replied with a furious shake of the head “I’m so sorry Lieutenant”

 

“Clarke I wanted to kiss you just as much” Lexa admitted

 

“You did?”

 

“Yes” Lexa said simply

 

“So what does that mean?”

 

“I don’t think it can mean anything, Clarke” Lexa replied quietly “It can’t”

 

“Okay” Clarke nodded as her eyes were suddenly fixated on the grass below her

 

“And not because I don’t want it to be but I’m your boss” Lexa closed her eyes quickly, swallowing thickly “I would have to declare our relationship to the Chief and probably the Commission now. If they are looking for a reason to get rid of me or move me while I’m being reviewed, that could be a good one”

 

“You’re right” Clarke said simply

 

“I’m sorry” Lexa apologized

 

“It’s okay” Clarke shook her head “I knew that would be the case and I shouldn’t have let it happen”

 

“Well I kind of let it happen too”

 

“We should head back” Clarke said “Everyone’s probably wondering where we’ve gone”

 

“Yeah”

 

\---

 

Lexa sat in her office after spending half an hour in with the Chief.

 

She had her head in her hands as her elbows rested on her desk.

 

It taken a few days since the BBQ for the Commission to clear their own paperwork but she had finally confirmed what she thought was going on.

 

Wallace was right, the Commission were reviewing her and would be watching her under a microscope for the next few weeks, which Lexa didn’t need.

 

It was difficult enough for her trying to make split second decisions that could cost or save a life but now she had the added pressure of being watched.

 

Her reports would have to increase in size and frequency and spot inspections would occur for Rescue Squad to ensure Lexa was doing everything by the book.

 

Which she was.

 

But she knew how much it was going to inconvenience the rest of her crew

 

“You wanted to see me?” She heard Clarke asking from her office door

 

“Can you please come in and close the door?” Lexa asked as she lifted her head to see the paramedic

 

Clarke did what she was asked wordlessly before taking a seat in the chair next to Lexa’s bed

 

Things had been a little awkward between the two since they kissed.

 

It hadn’t interfered with their professional relationship but they certainly hadn’t been spending as much time together as they had previously.

 

“So I just got out of a meeting with the Chief”

 

“I saw” Clarke nodded

 

“And I think you know what it’s about”

 

“It could be a few things” Clarke said honestly

 

“The Commission officially filed a review request this morning so as of next shift I’m under review for the period of 14 working days” Lexa said

 

“Seriously?” Clarke asked raising her eyebrows “That’s ridiculous”

 

“Yeah” Lexa nodded “Which means I’m going to have to fill in double the paperwork and Rescue Squad are also going to have to participate in spot inspections of our truck, equipment and whatever else they decide they want to look at”

 

“Okay” Clarke nodded

 

“And seeing as you are under my department, that will include you and Raven” Lexa said

 

“So they can just come in whenever they want?”

 

“I doubt they actually will” Lexa said “The Chief seems to think this is another one of their tests or they are trying to scare me off. Whatever it is, I’m not going to give them any reason or hope to do anything but keep me here. I’m hoping I can get your full cooperation on this”

 

“You know you can” Clarke nodded “Just say the word”

 

“It just means that I’m going to need you to do an inventory check after every job we do, not just every shift” Lexa replied with a slight pause “Which I know is a lot to ask because it’s a big job but I would appreciate it just for 14 days”

 

“Of course” Clarke answered “Have you told everyone else?”

 

“I’ll tell them at the end of the shift” Lexa said sighing “I don’t know why but I just wanted to tell you first”

 

“Don’t worry, everyone is going to make sure they do their best for you” Clarke nodded

 

“And I just wanted to apologize for…our current situation” Lexa said shaking her head “It’s weird for me but it’s probably weirder for you because I’m not the easiest person to read”

 

“No, you’re not” Clarke said with a small smile “Anything else?”

 

“Nothing else” Lexa said shaking her head

 

“You know, I’ve been trying to just pretend that kiss and act like it never happened. Try and forget it” Clarke said folding her arms “But I can’t”

 

**_Firehouse 56 Rescue Squad 2, Engine 21, Ambulance 1 Critical Aerial Rescue required at 3673 Vulture Road_ **

 

“You and I will talk about this later” Lexa promised as she stood

 

“We don’t have to” Clarke shook her head

 

“We will” Lexa nodded

 

\---

 

When they arrived on the scene, Lexa got the idea that what they were dealing with was actually worse than they first thought.

 

A window washer’s scaffold hadn’t been secured completely and one set of ropes had snapped, leaving it hanging unevenly and unsteadily with 2 people still held on for dear life.

 

Not only that but it had smashed in windows of the building it had hit as it collided with the building, causing dozens of injuries on the ground.

 

“Okay” Lexa said looking back at her team “I want half of engine crew securing that scaffolding. I want someone to get the police to clear out the street below that scaffold incase it does actually fall. Clarke, Raven I need you to treat those down here who have been hit with the glass. There looks like a few of them so get on your radio and call for assistance. Rescue Squad we are going up to the top and we’re going to repel down, pick up those guys and get off there as soon as we can”

 

Without hesitation the teams moved out to do what they were assigned.

 

Lexa and her squad moved up to the roof of the building, where they secured their ropes and harnesses as they prepared to repel.

 

“Octavia, you’re down with me” Lexa ordered as she approached the edge of the building

 

“Lines are secure Lieutenant but that scaffold is not going to hold for long” Bellamy said through the radio

 

“Copy that” Lexa said as she looked to Octavia “We take rope down and we hook them up straight away. As soon as they start going up, get yourself clear of that scaffold and hang until Indra can lift you up”

 

“Got it” Octavia said as she took off down the side of the building

 

Her plan was relatively straightforward.

 

Lexa had to lower herself down; repelling against the building wasn’t going to be the safest option on her side because of the broken windows.

 

“We need you both to stay calm” Lexa called from above the men “Are your harnesses secure?”

 

“Yes” One yelled “Please! This thing is going to fall”

 

“Octavia, disconnect your first rope and connect him up” Lexa gave Octavia the go ahead to lower herself completely to the scaffold

 

Lexa lowered herself as well so her feet were just above the scaffold when she felt the man she was trying to help grab onto her rope, pulling down as hard as he could to grab onto her.

 

Her rope shifted sharply as she had to reach quickly and squeeze tightly her lock to stop herself from sliding any further.

 

She quickly locked her rope into place while the sudden increase in weight on her rope pushed her backwards into the building window, causing the Lieutenant to hit the side of the building with a thud.

 

The guy struggled as he tried to keep a hold of Lexa, twisting her own rope as he tried to secure himself further with Lexa.

 

“Sir stop!” Lexa yelled loudly “I need you to stay still or you’ll kill us both”

 

“Lieutenant?” She heard Octavia call from above her

 

Lexa looked up, Octavia’s guy was clear and on his way up to the roof as she hovered just by the scaffolding that was swaying due to all of the movement

 

“Go Blake, get clear and up on the roof” Lexa called

 

“Are you sure?”  


“Go” Lexa called as she latched onto the guy who was gripping on her for dear life “Sir my rope will not take 2 people. I need you to stop moving so I can secure you on my second line and get you up there”

 

“I’m going to fall” He called as he looked down to the ground and struggled against Lexa again, causing her to go straight into the side of the building once more, this time though bouncing onto the side of the scaffold which made it move uneasily

 

“Sir!” Lexa yelled

 

“I don’t want to die” He shook his head

 

“Stay still” Lexa ordered as she unclipped her secondary rope to secure his harness “Now Lincoln”

 

Lexa released the worker and Lincoln began tugging him up to the roof safely.

 

With a sigh of relief Lexa through her head back to watch the guy being pulled up as she waited for her turn.

 

Suddenly she heard a snap.

 

One of the ropes securing the scaffolding broke and it slid down a few stories

 

What she didn’t expect though was the fact that she was being pulled down with it.

 

She heard the people below scream as she jerked to a sudden halt, colliding with the side of the scaffold.

 

She looked to her ropes and she froze.

 

During all of the commotion the worker had caused her primary rope, the only rope she now had, to be tangled with the scaffolding rope.

 

The same scaffolding rope that was fraying and shaking at any movement

 

“I’m caught” Lexa called into the radio “My rope is tangled”

 

“Can you untangle it?” Lincoln responded

 

“No” Lexa looked at the knotted mess of the ropes before looking down to the ground “This thing is going to come down, you have to clear everyone out the way”

 

“I’m going to try and pull you up” Lincoln said

 

“if you try, the rope will snap and take me with it” Lexa said “The scaffolding is over this ropes weight limit and you know that”

 

“Hang on Lieutenant” She heard Octavia over the radio “I have an idea”

 

Lexa looked down to the ground below her.

 

 She was at least 20 stories up and knew she had no chance if the scaffolding fell 

 

“Not now” Lexa groaned as a wind blew through

 

The scaffold rattled and so did she.

 

She looked up to her rope and tried twisting herself a few times only to seem like she was tangling herself even more.

 

Lexa heard the people scream once more as the scaffolding jittered, shifting slightly and Lexa heard the stretching of the main rope that was holding the scaffolding.

 

She heard a tap on the window in front of her and saw Lincoln signaling for her to turn around.

 

She did just that, spinning herself around as the glass smashed behind her.

 

She felt hands grab her and pull her towards the building as the scaffold shifted once again.

 

Lexa felt herself unclipped from her safety rope and she fell backwards on top of Lincoln, Octavia and Indra behind her safely in the building as the scaffold swayed violently against the side of the building from the commotion.

 

But it didn’t fall.

 

“Are you okay Lieutenant?” She heard Octavia asked as she sat up next to her

 

“Fine” Lexa said as she swallowed thickly as Lincoln hit her on the back a few times with relief “Let’s get this scaffold down and secured then get the hell out of here”

 

After working with the Engine crew to completely secure the scaffold and bring it slowly down to the ground, they made their way back to the firehouse.

 

Lexa was pretty quiet the whole way, still trying to catch her breath from what just happened.

 

They jumped out of the truck where Lexa saw Clarke waiting for her by the ambulance.

 

She pushed off the door and walked to Lexa with purpose, pulling her into the tightest hug she could manage.

 

“I’m okay” Lexa mumbled into Clarke’s shoulder as she savoured the hug for a moment before pulling away

 

“Lieutenant” She heard the Chief say from the Firehouse entrance “My office please”

 

Lexa gave Clarke a quick glance but she made her way to the Chief’s office quickly, closing the door and taking a seat in front of his desk.

 

“First of all, are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine” Lexa nodded “Thanks to my squad, I’m fine”

 

“You’re going to have to write that up” The Chief said with a sigh

 

“Of course that happened as soon as I’m being reviewed” Lexa said rolling her eyes

 

“You handled the situation well, your crew handled it well” The Chief said shaking his head “Just make sure you have as much detail in that report as possible”

 

“Will do” Lexa said standing “Need anything else from me?”

 

“No, you can go”

 

“Thank you Chief”

 

Lexa pushed her way out of the Chief’s door before returning out to the garage where her crew were packing up their ropes

 

“I just wanted to say thank you” Lexa said stopping in front of them “To all of you. I know I would probably be crushed under scaffold right now if it weren’t for you all”

 

“Part of the job Lieutenant” Octavia said with a small smile

 

“You are all outstanding squad members and I’ll be sending a recommendation of excellence to the Commission for you all” Lexa said pausing “Once I’m off review”

 

“Don’t mention it” Lincoln smiled

 

Lexa soon found herself back in her office, closing the door and leaning against it with a sigh of relief.

 

“So are you really okay?”

 

Lexa’s eyes shot open as she saw Clarke sitting on her bed, her hands by her sides and gripping the mattress tightly

 

“I didn’t know you were in here”

 

“I didn’t mean to scare you” Clarke replied shaking her head

 

“I don’t think my heart can take anymore scares today” Lexa laughed sarcastically

 

“Lexa you were in real trouble” Clarke said seriously as she stood

 

“I risk my life, that’s what I do” Lexa shrugged

 

“Yeah but you were just hanging there” Clarke replied “And all we could do from the ground is watch”

 

“I’m okay” Lexa said reassuringly with a small nod

 

Clarke didn’t say another word as she approached Lexa, standing as close to the other girl without touching her as possible.

 

Lexa swallowed thickly as she felt the door behind her back press into her

 

Lexa couldn’t help but look to Clarke’s lips as they began to hover impossibly close to her own.

 

All she wanted to do was kiss the other girl.

 

Her body practically screamed for it.

 

She could feel the other girl’s breath against her own skin before her office phone began to ring and they both jumped back quickly.

 

“I should go” Clarke said shaking her head

 

“Wait” Lexa replied quickly

 

“No, we know how this ends and I don’t want to kiss you again and then have you tell me we can’t” Clarke said as she nudged Lexa aside gently, opening the door and leaving her office “I have to go finish my inventory”

 

Lexa just stood there, glaring at the phone that was ringing and thinking about what exactly had just happened.

 

To be honest, she didn’t really know.

 

What she did know though was how hard it was going to be to deny the feelings that were growing by the minute for her blonde paramedic. 

 

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. 

 

She was in trouble. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, you guys are all so amazing. Thank you so much for all your comments and support, it honestly makes my day!
> 
> Let me know what you think of this update :) I hope you all like it.

Clarke had been very distant the whole next week and Lexa didn’t blame her at all.

 

Lexa had feelings for Clarke, that simple part she couldn’t deny.

 

She had been thinking about that very fact all week long.

 

It presented her with a professional problem though.

 

She was Clarke’s boss and as if it wasn’t complicated enough, the Commission were currently reviewing her.

 

She still didn’t know why exactly she had been placed under review by the Commission and she didn’t think she would know until it was over..

 

In a way she also knew that they could go out of their way to make Clarke’s life difficult if she did formally disclose their relationship.

 

If they wanted to get to Lexa that much then she was sure they could use Clarke to do so and Lexa didn’t want to implicate her in anyway.

 

At the very front of her mind she knew because she was Clarke’s direct boss, it could force one of them to move Firehouses and she couldn’t allow that to happen.

****

Lexa had never even considered being involved with anyone in the same profession let alone the same Firehouse.

 

But then Clarke Griffin arrived.

 

Lexa sat in the common room at the table with her dinner sitting in front of her; she pushed a piece of broccoli around her plate with a fork and sighed loudly.

 

“Well you look like you’re having a lot of fun” Octavia said as she sat down next to her Lieutenant

 

“You’re right, I am” Lexa nodded as she looked to the younger girl “Can I help you?”

 

“I wanted to give you a heads up”

 

“About?” Lexa raised an eyebrow

 

“Clarke is going out on a date after shift tonight”

 

“And why do you think I need to know that?” Lexa asked

 

“I don’t know how blind you think everyone is in this house but there’s clearly something going on between you both”

 

“No, there isn’t” Lexa countered steadily

 

“Well okay, no there isn’t” Octavia said as she placed her elbows to rest of the table in front of her “Because you won’t allow there to be”

 

“Does this talk have some kind of point?” Lexa asked, her patience increasingly wearing thin

 

“I’m just saying that you aren’t as good of an actor as you think you are” Octavia shrugged with a smirk

 

“What about you and Lincoln?”

 

Octavia paused, her eyes widened and the smirk disappeared from her face

 

“I’m not going to say anything about it until you are ready to declare it but I respect you enough not to mention it” Lexa said quietly as she looked around the empty room “I’m her boss, she reports to me. What we would have to go through just for someone to approve our relationship like they have some right would be more trouble than good”

 

“But you don’t know that though because you won’t even try” Octavia said as Lexa sent her an almost deadly glare “Lieutenant I am saying this for your own good, not because I want to be murdered. You two have something and it’s not something that you should waste because of some red tape”

 

“The implications could be much greater than red tape”

 

“Yeah, like you could actually do something for yourself and be happy” Octavia snapped sarcastically “You aren’t fooling anyone because you don’t even agree with what you are saying”

 

“I’m going to suggest that you leave the room, now” Lexa said quietly through gritted teeth

 

“You got it boss” Octavia nodded as she stood

 

“You’re lucky I actually like you” Lexa called out to her as Octavia gave her a wave and a toothy grin as she left the room

 

As Octavia left the room, Clarke entered, pausing as she saw Lexa at the table by herself.

 

“Oh hey” Clarke said with a small smile

 

“Hi Clarke” Lexa said mirroring the same smile

 

“Eating with all your friends?”

 

“Everyone’s out playing cards” Lexa shrugged “How was your call?”

 

“Fine, I’ll detail it in my report” Clarke nodded

 

“Thanks”

 

“Of course” Clarke said nodding again “So why aren’t you out playing cards?”

 

“I don’t really feel like playing cards” Lexa shrugged “Or doing anything for that matter”

 

“Are you up to much tomorrow?” Clarke asked, trying to make conversation

 

“No, I just need to catch up on a few things” Lexa replied “You?”

 

“I’m not too sure yet”

 

“Do you have a date tonight?” Lexa asked suddenly, clearly taking Clarke aback with the question

 

“I do” Clarke nodded “Raven set me up with some guy she met when we first moved here”

 

“Some guy?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrow

 

“Yeah, some guy” Clarke replied sharply “Do you want me to fill out a form?”

 

“Clarke” 

 

“Sorry” Clarke said with a sigh “I’m going to go”

 

Lexa could only nod as she watched Clarke walk past the common room into the locker room.

 

\---

 

The end of the shift was uneventful.

 

Their rotation was having a very well deserved day off the next day so Lexa was happy to be able to have a break from the Firehouse for at least a little while.

 

She needed time to clear her head.

 

She needed time to think.

 

Lexa was one of the last to leave the Firehouse along with Bellamy.

 

She let the cool evening air hit her as she pushed the hand that wasn’t holding the duffle bag strap into her jacket pocket.

 

Lexa saw a car pull up that she didn’t recognize and Clarke walk towards it.

 

Her date.

 

She opened the door with a half-smile, got in and the car sped off with unnecessary loudness.

 

“You know instead of just watching that, you should have done something” Bellamy said watching the car disappear

 

“Like what?” Lexa asked in a low, sharp voice “What am I supposed to do about that?”

 

“Well you could ask her out yourself”

 

“Not you too” Lexa groaned

 

“I know you think that the relationship policy is a big deal but it’s not” Bellamy replied “You’re a great Lieutenant and I think everyone is smart enough to know that you’d have to do a lot worse things than date someone on your rotation to be fired”

 

“I don’t know what you are talking about”

 

“Yes you do” Bellamy said “You should do something about it before she finds someone else”

 

“Mind your own business Blake” Lexa snapped “I’ll see you Friday”

 

“You will”

 

 

\---

 

Lexa wasn’t sure how it happened.

 

She didn’t know at what point she decided to leave her apartment, get in her car and drive.

 

She didn’t know how she allowed herself to even be there or to think about doing what she was thinking about.

 

But there she was.

 

There she was standing outside of Clarke’s apartment building in the freezing cold, waiting for the paramedic to come home.

 

She realized it could have been considered as creepy or stalking but she needed to talk to Clarke and she didn’t want it to wait.

 

It couldn’t wait.  

 

Somewhere between the Blake siblings, Lexa realized that the feelings she had for Clarke were not going to just disappear.

 

She didn’t even want them to disappear.

 

She realized just how much her heart wanted Clarke.

 

Lexa hardly ever let her heart make decisions; it was her head that took control in most situations.

 

Lexa’s head told her that she just needed to dismiss her feelings because it was what was best for her career.

 

 But for once she was going to allow her heart to do the talking.

 

The Lieutenant wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to say or what she was going to do when Clarke came home.

 

She didn’t even know if she was going to have a chance to talk.

 

Red tape be damned.

 

Lexa wanted Clarke.

 

So if she had the chance, she was going to take it.

 

It took her long enough to admit it so she wasn’t going to allow anything to stop it.

 

If she had to go through a process to be with Clarke then she would.

 

Uncharacteristically for Lexa, she wanted to work it out as she went.

 

“I’m guessing you aren’t here to see me” Lexa heard Raven’s voice from over her shoulder

 

“I…no” Lexa said shaking her head with a furrowed brow as she turned to the building door where Raven was standing in pajama pants and a jacket

 

“I didn’t think so” Raven said with a smirk

 

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone I was here” Lexa said shaking her head

 

“Don’t worry” Raven said as her smirk turned to a genuine smile

 

“Thanks” Lexa nodded

 

“Do you want to come inside, so you aren’t freezing?”

 

“No thank you” Lexa replied looking back out to the street “I want to give her the chance to tell me to leave”

 

“You’re a bit of a romantic Lieutenant” Raven winked “Good luck”

 

Lexa’s jaw clenched but not with anger, she was steeling herself and trying to shake off the nervousness.

 

\---

 

Lexa waited there for an hour.

 

She watched many people pass her, hurrying to get home from the cold and the dark night.

 

The Lieutenant was exhausted, she was hungry and she was freezing.

 

But still she waited.

 

The longer she waited, the better she thought Clarke’s date was going.

 

She looked for the car she had seen earlier at the firehouse, waiting for her date to drop the paramedic home.

 

What she didn’t expect though was to see Clarke turning the corner by her street with her head down and her hands tucked deep into her pockets.

 

“Clarke” Lexa said as she stood from the step of her apartment complex

 

“Lexa?” Clarke asked in confusion “Why are you outside my apartment building?”

 

“Would you believe me if I said I was in the neighbourhood?”

 

“No” Clarke said as the corners of her lips curved in a small smile “You don’t live anywhere near here”

 

“You’re correct” Lexa said nervously

 

“So, why are you actually outside my apartment in the cold at 11pm?” Clarke asked

 

“To be honest I don’t know” Lexa said with a sigh

 

“Right” Clarke replied with more than a hint of disappointment in her tone

 

“But then at the same time, I know exactly I’m doing here” Lexa nodded

 

“You say some confusing things outside of work when you aren’t giving orders” Clarke said patiently

 

“I realize that my reaction after we kissed was not ideal” Lexa said “I could have handled it better and I know that”

 

“It’s okay” Clarke shrugged “You’ve got a lot going on”

 

“No it’s not okay” Lexa shook her head as she took a small step towards the blonde, still leaving a sizable gap between them “And I haven’t stopped thinking about it and replaying it in my mind since it happened”

 

“Me too”

 

“I’ve been staring at that stupid relationship policy every shift since we kissed” Lexa said “We aren’t breaking the rules, it’s just a bit more complicated than normal because I’m your direct reporting officer. Not only that but I’m on review right now, which would give them such a great reason to get rid of me. Or you”

 

“I know” Clarke nodded as she closed her eyes for a moment “Is this all you came to tell me? Stuff I already know and we’ve been over?”

 

“No”

 

“Lexa it’s a piece of paper” Clarke said “How much can they do if we submit a piece of paper?”

 

“I keep asking myself the same thing”

 

“Could they really move you from 56?” Clarke asked shaking her head

 

“Yes” Lexa said simply

 

“So we’re back to square one”

 

“I want to try and work something out” Lexa said “I don’t want to move, I can’t”

 

“I wouldn’t expect you to” Clarke replied

 

“But I also can’t just let this pass me by” Lexa said as she took a small step forward again “I can’t just let you pass me by”

 

“Lexa I can’t just kiss you again and then have you tell me that we can’t” Clarke replied “If we do this then we do it for real”

 

“I want to try” Lexa said swallowing thickly as she nodded “And I want to do something for myself for once. I want you”

 

“You know I was just on a date, right?”

 

“How was it?” Lexa spoke quietly as she edged closer to Clarke, standing inches from the blonde paramedic

 

“He was a jerk”

 

Before Clarke could say anything else, Lexa found herself standing flush against the other girl.

 

Her lips caught Clarke’s in a soft, yet confident kiss.

 

She felt Clarke’s hand move to her waist, pulling Lexa that little bit closer in the cold night.

 

“Come inside, we can talk some more where it’s not freezing” Clarke whispered with her eyes still closed, inches from the Lieutenant’s lips “I’m losing feeling in my toes”

 

“I should go” Lexa shook her head, pulling away further so she could look Clarke in the eyes

 

“Why?”

 

“Well for one, Raven knows I’m down here” Lexa answered

 

“She won’t say anything, we’re just talking” Clarke nodded as she reached down to take Lexa’s hand in hers, pulling her up the stairs to her apartment building

 

“Guess I don’t have a choice”

 

“Nope” Clarke joked, glancing over her shoulder with a smirk

 

Lexa was freezing; she couldn’t feel any part of her face, her fingers and toes were both numb but like a walking cliché, she had never felt so warm inside.

 

Lexa allowed herself to be pulled up to the apartment building as Clarke used her key to unlock the door and made her way to the elevator.

 

They stood awkwardly for a moment, waiting for the elevator doors open but Lexa didn’t care.

 

The smile on her face made it evident that she didn’t care; her hand was joined with Clarke’s so she could take a little bit of awkwardness.

 

Once they arrived on Clarke’s floor the blonde opened the door silently to see her friend and coworker sitting on the couch.

 

“So what happ…Lieutenant” Raven said

 

“Hi” Lexa nodded “Again”

 

“So you obviously said something right then” Raven smirked

 

“We’re just talking” Clarke said, pulling Lexa inside and towards her room

 

“Yes, just talking” Raven grinned with a wink

 

“Again, your silence on me being here for now would be appreciated”

 

“Don’t worry about me” Raven replied “I’m just happy that she won’t have to talk about you anymore if you are actually here”

 

“Goodnight Raven” Clarke called as she closed the door to her room “When did you see Raven?”

 

“She came out before” Lexa shrugged

 

“How long were you out there for?”

 

“I think I was waiting for an hour”

 

“An hour?” Clarke’s eyes widened as she shook off her coat

 

“I didn’t mind” Lexa shook her head

 

“Lexa, you could have frozen”

 

“I have warm blood” Lexa waved her off as she took her own coat off and leaned up against the back of Clarke’s door

 

“I’m glad you did though” Clarke replied after she moved to take a seat on her bed “You can sit down if you want”

 

“I’m okay” Lexa nodded with a small smile “So what did you want to talk about?”

 

“I just didn’t want you to leave yet” Clarke replied honestly

 

“I see” Lexa’s smile grew as she looked down at her shoes for a moment

 

“So how are we going to do this?” Clarke asked

 

“I’m going to talk to the Chief first thing Friday” Lexa shrugged

 

“What are you going to say to him?” Clarke asked

 

“That you and I have started seeing each other” Lexa replied before she paused “Are we seeing each other?”

 

“Yes” Clarke laughed

 

“We will keep our professional life separate from our personal lives. I’ll let him know that I’ll do whatever I have to in order to prove that as well”

 

“And this is what you want?”

 

“It is” Lexa nodded “So much so that I’ve taken a risk here and you know that I don’t really tend to make uncalculated risks”

 

“So why did you?” Clarke asked as she stood from the bed, approaching Lexa

 

“Because I can’t deny that I want you and I don’t want to have to deny it” Lexa answered honestly “You are one of the first people I have trusted completely in a very long time and I don’t know how you managed that”

 

“Lexa, I don’t want to push you into anything” Clarke said quietly “If you think it’s too risky then…”

 

“I’m a big girl, Clarke” Lexa replied interrupting Clarke’s sentence “I’m doing this because I want to and I don’t think I could deal with myself if I let you go and saw you with someone else”

 

“Are you sure?” Clarke asked as she placed her hands on Lexa’s waist

 

“More than sure” Lexa’s eyes fluttered closed as she closed the gap between their bodies, pressing a kiss to Clarke’s lips

 

This kiss was different though.

 

This kiss wasn’t shy and it wasn’t tentative.

 

This kiss was full of confidence and conviction between the two but it wasn’t rushed.

 

They weren’t in any hurry to do anything but stay in that exact moment they had found themselves in.

 

Lexa felt herself being pushed up against Clarke’s door with a thud, which caused Lexa to grin against Clarke’s lips

 

“I’m just going to pretend that you dropped something” They heard Raven call from the room outside

 

“I did” Clarke called jokingly before resting her forehead against Lexa’s

 

“How are we going to do this without me wanting to kiss you all the time in the firehouse?” Lexa asked with a smile as she opened her eyes to see Clarke’s closed ones

 

“I’m asking myself the very same question” Clarke mumbled

 

“At least right now, I don’t have to worry about that”

 

Lexa tugged on Clarke’s hips so it was the blonde who had her back against the door.

 

Her hips pinned Clarke’s so she couldn’t move away but there was no way the paramedic wanted to be anywhere else.

 

Lexa felt Clarke move her now warm hand to her cheek, cupping it very gently as if Lexa could be broken at any moment.

 

Lexa was on fire.

 

She had never felt like she did when she was kissing Clarke.

 

She noticed it the very first time their lips touched at the BBQ, something inside her just felt like it was aflame but the warmth was only comforting.

 

While she didn’t understand the cliché of people saying they saw fireworks when they kissed the right person, she understood what they were getting at.

 

The Lieutenant could hear her heart pounding through her ears as their lips continued to move in sync with one another.

 

Clarke’s lips were soft, softer than what Lexa had remembered but she had never been able to kiss her before like she was at that moment.

 

She heard Clarke sigh into her lips quietly as Lexa found herself gripping just that little bit tighter on the blonde’s waist.

 

She felt a sting in her lungs before pulling away from the kiss regretfully but she pulled the other girl close, resting her face against the warm skin of her neck.

 

“So maybe we can’t do that in the firehouse all the time” Clarke chuckled as Lexa noticed the slight husk in her voice

 

“I don’t think so” Lexa agreed, a wide smile forming on her lips but it stayed hidden against the blonde’s skin

 

“This is a much better end to my night than I expected” Clarke said honestly

 

“So I take it you aren’t going to give your date a call back?” Lexa asked playfully, moving from Clarke’s neck to look her in the eyes “You have the most beautiful eyes”

 

“You know, you act all tough and all indifferent but then I look you in the eyes and they give you away” Clarke smiled warmly, stroking Lexa’s cheek with her thumb “You Lieutenant have heart eyes”

 

“I have what?” Lexa asked, her soft expression falling from her face

 

“You do” Clarke laughed “And it’s not a bad thing, I can just see right through you”

 

“I don’t think that anyone can see right through me” Lexa shook her head

 

“Do you ever wonder why you always lose when you play cards in the firehouse?” Clarke asked

 

“No”

 

“Yes you do” Clarke replied quickly “And it’s because you don’t hide things as well as you think you do”

 

“Maybe not but I don’t have heart eyes” Lexa dismissed “Whatever they actually are”

 

“You do” Clarke said before pecking the brunette on the lips quickly “And I like them”

 

\---

 

Lexa felt a shift beside her as she stirred from her slumber.

 

Her arm was completely numb and she had a mass of blonde her in her face but she was ridiculously happy.

 

A happiness she hadn’t experienced for a very long time.

 

A happiness that came from letting herself do something for her own benefit for once.

 

A happiness that was a direct result of her allowed herself to be that happy.

 

She fell asleep in Clarke’s bed last night after they both decided it was far too late for Lexa to go back to her apartment.

 

Lexa borrowed some clothes of Clarke’s and curled herself right up next to the blonde, wrapping her arm around her waist and pulling her as close as possible.

 

At some point in the night though, Lexa had shifted her arm under Clarke and that’s how she woke up with a dead arm.

 

It was all worth it though.

 

“We should probably get up” Clarke said sleepily beside Lexa, turning in her arms to be face to face

 

“Or” Lexa began “We could stay in bed”

 

“If I remember correctly, you told me once that you hate sleeping in” Clarke said as she buried her head in the crook of Lexa’s neck, placing a gentle kiss on her warm skin “You said it was a waste of a day”

 

“Yeah but I didn’t know what it was like staying in bed with you” Lexa shrugged “And this feels totally worth it”

 

“I agree” Clarke mumbled

 

Lexa opened her mouth to say something further when there was a loud knock on the door and found Raven standing in front of them.

 

Raven was clearly startled at first before a massive smirk appeared on her face

 

“Well this is an interesting development”

 

“You knew Lexa was here” Clarke said as she moved from Lexa’s neck, rolling onto her back to face Raven

 

“I didn’t know the Lieutenant slept over” Raven winked jokingly as she laughed “This is great”

 

“Stop it” Clarke scowled weakly

 

“So obviously my plan worked” Raven said folding her arms “I’m a genius”

 

“Your plan?” Lexa asked, propping herself up on her elbow

 

“Well I set Clarke up on a date that I knew would suck because they have nothing in common hoping that it would push you both together” Raven nodded “And I think it came together perfectly”

 

“Okay, I’ll be right back” Clarke turned to Lexa before getting up from her bed and dragging Raven outside her room, shutting the door behind her

 

“What?” She heard Raven hiss

 

“You can’t tell anyone about this” Lexa heard Clarke say very seriously “And you can’t tell anyone about your little plan. Lexa is going to tell the Chief about it tomorrow but you can’t say anything. She’s still on review”

 

“Do you really think I am going to say anything?” Raven asked

 

“I have no idea” Clarke replied before pausing “And she can probably hear all of this”

 

“I can” Lexa called

 

\---

 

“So why are we here?” Lexa asked as they sat in a hipster café around the corner from Clarke’s house

 

“Well because you said you were hungry and this place is awesome” Clarke shrugged as she looked up at the menu board from her seat

 

“The food does look nice here” Lexa said almost skeptically “But it’s no diner”

 

“No, it’s not” Clarke chuckled “For a 26 year old woman, sometimes you act like an old man”

 

“Well I would love to hear your explanation for saying that” Lexa said leaning forward in her seat, raising her eyebrow challengingly

 

“You’re just really stubborn” Clarke laughed

 

“I can’t deny that” Lexa shook her head “Did Raven really set you up on purpose with that guy because she knew you wouldn’t like him?”

 

“I mean, I don’t know but I wouldn’t put it past her” Clarke replied

 

“It’s pretty cunning in all honesty” Lexa said “But what if you ended up liking him?”

 

“I think it was pretty obvious that my feelings weren’t for anyone else but you” Clarke shrugged

 

“So why did you go out on that date then?”

 

“I don’t know” Clarke shrugged “I wanted to get you off my mind and thought a date would help but it really didn’t”

 

“What was so bad about this guy?”

 

“Well for starters he was 20 minutes late, he smelled terribly, his car had old fast food papers that I think were growing mould and I ended up paying for his dinner”

 

“Rough” Lexa laughed quietly to herself “He sounds great”

 

“So Raven did a really good job” Clarke rolled her eyes “But I didn’t expect to find you outside my apartment”

 

“Honestly I didn’t leave the Firehouse last night and expect to be there at 11pm last night in the freezing cold” Lexa shook her head furiously

 

“What made you do that then?”

 

“I was sitting in my apartment by myself and I couldn’t stop thinking about you being on a date and as cliché sounds, I wished it was me you were out with” Lexa said with a shy smile

 

“See” Clarke smiled softly

 

“What?”

 

“Heart eyes” Clarke’s smile only increased as Lexa groaned playfully

 

“Anyway, I might have to thank Raven for her little plan” Lexa said honestly “And I should probably take it a little easier on her”

 

“You aren’t hard on her” Clarke shook her head “If anything, she probably gets away with a lot more being in 56”

 

“Possibly” Lexa nodded

 

“How’s your review going?” Clarke asked curiously

 

“I have no idea” Lexa shook her head “I’ve submitted all of my reports, stayed late at work every shift in order for all of that paperwork to be completed and I know the actual firehouse is being run well so well I think but who knows”  


“Well you aren’t really doing anything differently to what you usually do” Clarke shrugged

 

“Exactly” Lexa replied “I know that they are just looking for a reason to find something to hold against me”

 

“Why do you think the Commission don’t like you?”

 

“Probably because I won’t kiss their ass” Lexa sighed as she folded her arms “I mean I don’t think that they all dislike me. I don’t even know if Dante Wallace does but I definitely know that Cage Wallace does and he’s a huge influence on his dad”

 

“Well they aren’t going to find a reason to do anything but commend you on how you run 56”

 

“Yeah but the day I was placed on review, we had that scaffolding rescue where I almost went down with the scaffold” Lexa shook her head as she toyed with the sleeve hem on her jacket “And that’s not going to look good”

 

“You couldn’t help that and you got the guy up who was pretty much ready to jump just so he could be off there” Clarke replied, reaching out to take Lexa’s hand in her own

 

Lexa looked down at their hands, a smile developing from the corners of her lips while she watched Clarke intertwine their fingers

 

“You’re an amazing Lieutenant and everyone knows that” Clarke replied quietly “And the fact that you are an even stronger person just makes you that much more ideal for you to do what you do”

 

“Thank you” Lexa nodded quickly as she gave the blonde’s hand a squeeze “But whatever happens next, I know I’m making the right decision”

 

“Good” Clarke nodded as well “We’ll work it out as we go”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My next update might take a few days, I'm trying to work out what exactly I want to do next. Plenty of ideas, I just need to work out in what order I want to place them in.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said I might take a few days to get a new chapter out but turns out I finished this one quicker than I thought. 
> 
> Please forgive any bad editing, I just came back from soccer training and I'm probably half asleep! 
> 
> This is another busy chapter, let me know what you think!

The Friday evening shift.

 

It wasn’t a rotation that they had to do too often but when they did, they were always busy.

 

It wasn’t going to be an easy one either because they were headed straight into a double shift meaning they would be at the Firehouse until Sunday morning.

 

It also meant they would have all of Sunday to recover for their next shift on Monday.

 

Double shifts were never pleasant, but the fact that this one fell over the weekend meant they were all going to tested.

 

Lexa had spent most of her day off the previous day with Clarke, only leaving when she remembered she needed to go grocery shopping so she actually had food to eat when she got home.

 

She walked into the Firehouse with her stomach in knots.

 

She had spent the best day she had recalled in a very long time with Clarke.

 

She didn’t want to leave the paramedic’s side.

 

But now she was out of that bubble and into reality so she was going to have to figure out just how to separate herself from her feelings while she was at work and in the firehouse.

 

Most of all, she was stressing about what she was going to say to Chief Jaha.

 

Lexa changed in the locker room immediately after arriving.

 

She was the only one on her shift that was present, which she was thankful for because it gave her a little time to think.

 

After she changed, she stood out in the hallway near the Chief’s office.

 

She took a step towards the door before pausing and taking a step backwards again.

 

She hadn’t actually decided what exactly she was going to say.

 

Lexa thought maybe she should have presented him with a relationship declaration form on his desk, say nothing and then walk away.

 

Though she didn’t think the Chief would appreciate that.

 

She had thought all night about what exactly she was going to do, how she was going to react but she was yet to actually decide on her best course of action.

 

Her train of thought was halted when she saw the Chief standing by his open door looking to the Lieutenant.

 

“You’ve been outside my door for a few minutes” The Chief said “Do you need to come in?”

 

“I…yes sir” Lexa said firmly “I do”

 

“Well come on in” The Chief nodded as he stepped aside for Lexa to walk inside

 

Lexa swallowed thickly before nodding and walking into his office, sitting down across from his desk immediately.

 

“How was your day off?” The Chief asked taking his seat at his desk

 

“Good thank you sir, yours?”

 

“Fine” The Chief replied “I needed to talk to you anyway”

 

“You did?” Lexa asked

 

“The Commission are going to be sending a few officers out on one of our calls today to examine you in the field”

 

“What?” Lexa asked bluntly “I’ve passed my firefighters exam when I came out of the academy, I’ve been a Lieutenant for 2 years and our house is one of the best in the country”

 

“I know all of these things” Chief Jaha said “And I’ve been on the phone with them all morning but they are going to be there at some stage during your shift”

 

“They realize I’m saving lives and they could be either really distracting or an obstacle” Lexa snapped

 

“Again, I know that” Chief Jaha nodded “My advice is just to act like they are not there and do what you need to do. We are there to save lives and to help; if you do your job then this review isn’t going to matter”

 

“Obviously you and I both know that isn’t true” Lexa replied sharply “Something is going on here and I don’t think I’m going to get out of this favourably”

 

“No, we don’t know that at all” Chief Jaha said calmly “Now what did you need to talk to me about?”

 

“It’s pretty serious” Lexa said

 

“I noticed that by how you were pacing in front of my office”

 

“Clarke Griffin and I are together” Lexa announced quickly “It only happened yesterday and I haven’t had the chance to fill in the correct paperwork. I also understand the implications that may be caused by this but I’m willing to do whatever I need to in order to prove we can keep it professional at work”

 

“Okay” The chief nodded

 

“Okay?” Lexa asked furrowing her eyebrows “Just okay?”

 

“It’s no problem for me because I know what a professional you are. I also know that Griffin is exactly the same so I’m not concerned” The Chief replied “But for now, while you are being reviewed, I suggest you tell as little people as possible. As soon as you come off review, submit the paperwork and be done with it”

 

“So I should wait?” Lexa asked

 

“I suggest you wait to declare anything” The Chief nodded “We have bigger things to worry about than who you are dating. As long as this doesn’t interfere with your work, I don’t have a problem with it”

 

“Really?” Lexa asked “Because they make such a big deal about Firehouse relationships being a huge no”

 

“In the academy they might but everyone is an adult here and I trust your judgment” The Chief said “We just don’t want to give the Commission any reason to look twice at you during this review”

 

“This was surprisingly easy” Lexa said as she stood from her seat

 

“Glad to hear it” The Chief nodded “If you’ll excuse me, I have to make a call”

 

“Thank you” Lexa nodded before exiting the Chief’s office, closing the door behind her

 

\---

 

Lexa was sitting in the common room as their shift started.

 

Finn was watching TV while Octavia, Lincoln, Clarke and Bellamy were playing cards at the table.

 

Lexa was half watching, half reading a report the Lieutenant from the last shift had left her about the calls they had attended.

 

“Hey so how was your date the other night?” Octavia asked looking to Clarke before she glanced to Lexa

 

Lexa hadn’t had the chance to see Clarke alone, Clarke arrived right on time to start the shift and Lexa had been out in the common room since she spoke to the Chief.

 

Lexa looked to Octavia who was smirking while she looked straight back at her

 

“It was pretty horrible” Clarke shrugged as she put a card down on the table “But you have to kiss a few frogs”

 

“Before you find your prince” Octavia nodded

 

“Or princess” Raven said as she arrived at the table

 

“Interesting theory” Octavia replied “What do you think, Lieutenant?”

 

“I think I’m not going to participate in what you’re talking about” Lexa said in her best disinterested tone

 

“So no follow up date then?”

 

“Not a chance” Clarke laughed “I love Raven but don’t let her set you up on a date”

 

“Hey, I was just trying to help you out” Raven shrugged “You can’t blame a girl for trying”

 

“What about you, Octavia?” Lexa asked raising an eyebrow “What if Raven set you up on a date?”

 

“Me?” Octavia asked with wide eyes

 

“Or are you seeing someone?” Lexa smirked as she watched her squad member squirm

 

“Uh…nope” Octavia said “I’m just being an independent single lady at the moment”

 

“Right” Lexa nodded as she looked back down at the report in front of her “Well that’s good to hear”

 

\---

 

“Can I speak to you Lieutenant?” Lexa heard Clarke say from the doorway of her office

 

“Come on in” Lexa said with a smile and a nod “You can close the door behind you”

 

“So that was a little mean what you pulled on Octavia out there” Clarke smirked as she closed the door before moving to sit on Lexa’s bed

 

“She was baiting me and she knew that” Lexa shrugged

 

“So I didn’t get a chance to see you before shift” Clarke replied quietly

 

“I told the Chief” Lexa nodded

 

“You did?” Clarke asked

 

“I did and it went a lot better than I thought” Lexa replied as she shifted her chair to face Clarke completely “He pretty much just said it’s not an issue. He knows we’re both professionals and as long as it doesn’t interfere with our work then he isn’t bothered”

 

“Wow” Clarke smiled

 

“But I can’t submit the paperwork until I finish my review” Lexa said “While Chief Jaha doesn’t have a problem with it, the Commission might”

 

“Okay, so we just keep it a secret until then?”

 

“Until I submit the paperwork” Lexa nodded “But it’s difficult enough having you just sitting on my bed and I haven’t seen you since yesterday”

 

“Well 1 wall of your office is made of glass so that wouldn’t be keeping much of a secret” Clarke joked

 

“The Commission are going to send some of their officers to one of our calls sometime over the double shift though” Lexa replied “So upon everything else, they want me to worry about my performance while I try and do my job”

 

“Seriously?” Clarke asked as the smile fell from her face “What are they hoping to find out about you? What do they want to prove so bad?”

 

“I sure hope I find out at the end of this week” Lexa shook her head

 

“No wonder you can’t stand the Commission”

 

**_Firehouse 56, Rescue Squad 2, Engine 21, Ambulance 1 Multiple Car Accident on the corner of 51 st and Harold Avenue_ **

****

“And so the double shift begins” Lexa sighed as she opened the door for Clarke to exit first

 

“Thanks” Clarke said with a small smile

 

They arrived at the crash sight and Lexa had to pause.

 

It struck her straight away as a very similar scene to what Clarke was involved in months ago.

 

A truck had collected 2 cars coming through in intersection but this, unfortunately was a lot messier.

 

The truck driver was injured and still in his truck while one car had the back completely crushed in on the other side of the road and the other car was flipped upside down.

 

Oil was pouring from the upside down car and thick, black smoke was erupting from the other.

 

“Engine, we have to get the smoke and any leakages under control. Clarke and Raven, get to the truck and make sure the driver is okay” Lexa said “I’ll assess the other two cars and as soon as I think it’s safe for you both, we can work on the victims in the car”

 

“That could be too long, Lieutenant” Raven argued

 

“As much as I want you to help them, until the situation is stable I’m not sending you in” Lexa shook her head “Go”

 

Lexa glanced to Clarke who had something in her eyes that Lexa hadn’t seen since the day she rescued her from the accident.

 

Fear.

 

“You okay?” Lexa asked quickly

 

Clarke gave her a nod but Lexa didn’t have time to worry about the other girl at that moment.

 

She had done enough to secure their safety and now she had to worry about the victims.

 

Lexa helped stabilize the oil leakage of the overturned car and quickly pulled Raven and Clarke from the truck driver, who was out of his truck and sitting in the back of a police car with some minor bruising and cuts.

 

Lexa looked out by the police car and recognized a few Fire Department officers standing by the police as they watched on.

 

They had come to the first call of the shift.

 

She shook it from her head as it became evident just how serious this accident was proving to be.

 

Lexa worked with Raven and Clarke to secure the victim in the overturned car, trying to get the man in his 50’s out without causing any further damage.

 

“Lieutenant!” She heard the panicked call

 

The Lieutenant moved out of the overturned car to see the other car had caught fire.

 

It was only a small fire but there was also a lot of oil on the ground so if it even had the opportunity to spread, it would injure a lot of people.

 

“Get the victim out and get that fire under of control” Lexa yelled as she ran over to the car “If that fire meets the oil then my two paramedics and that victim won’t make it out of that car. What’s the victim’s condition in this car?”

 

Octavia just shook her head as she watched the Engine crew work to put the fire out quickly

 

“It’s an extraction” Octavia said shaking her head “Not a rescue”

 

“Okay” Lexa nodded as looked at the chaos around her “Then we need everyone free working on getting this victim out so we can clear the oil”

 

Lexa had herself, Octavia and Lincoln move over to the overturned car where they managed to securely pull the man out.

 

Lexa could tell that the victim didn’t have a good chance of surviving but Clarke and Raven were doing the best they could.

 

They moved them to the back of the ambulance, Clarke stayed in the back working to stabilize the man while Raven jumped in the front seat to drive.

 

Rescue squad then worked to secure the other victim, quickly and efficiently once that fire was out. 

 

As the scene was starting to be cleared, Lexa watched the Fire Department officers get into their vehicles and leave.

 

She knew there was nothing she could have done differently, she knew that every decision she had made was the right one.

 

She was more concerned now with the wellbeing of her team than the opinion of any Fire Department officers.

 

The drive back to the Firehouse was silent.

 

It was never easy coming back from a scene where they couldn’t save everyone and they all took those moments very seriously.

 

When they arrived back at the house, the ambulance was already parked and Lexa found Raven sitting in the back.

 

“You okay?” Lexa asked

 

“We lost him on the way” Raven said with a small nod and a scratchy tone “I’m okay”

 

“You couldn’t help that” Lexa replied shaking her head “Where’s Clarke?”

 

“Bathroom”

 

Lexa marched into the firehouse, making a beeline to the bathroom where she found a very disheveled Clarke washing her hands carefully in the sink.

 

“Clarke” Lexa said as she stopped behind the blonde girl

 

Clarke turned around to face the Lieutenant straight away, her eyes full of tears that were yet to fall and her chin quivered.

 

Lexa’s heart broke for the paramedic right then and there.

 

She pulled Clarke into her arms immediately, feeling the other girl grip the back of her shirt for dear life.

 

“It’s okay” Lexa nodded

 

“We lost him” Clarke mumbled “ _I_ lost him”

 

“You did the best you could to help him” Lexa said pulling away to cup Clarke’s face in her hands gently “You and Raven were outstanding and you did all you could. It was a bad accident”

 

“I froze” Clarke shook her head “When we got there, I just froze”

 

“Come on, let’s talk in my office” Lexa said as she grabbed the other girls hand and pulled her into her office

 

Lexa pulled the blinds closed over the glass section of her wall, sitting Clarke down on her bed and pulling her office chair to sit right in front of the girl to take her hands.

 

“He went into cardiac arrest on the way over” Clarke explained shakily “It was too much stress for his body and we were about a minute away from the hospital”

 

“But you tried everything” Lexa said quietly “Sometimes, no matter how much you help or want to help you just can’t”

 

“But I froze Lexa”

 

“For a moment, maybe” Lexa replied “You froze when you arrived but your instincts kicked in and you handled the situation to the best of your ability. I’m speaking to you as your Lieutenant here, not as your girlfriend”

 

“I know” Clarke mumbled

 

“But I understand that you might need both right now” Lexa nodded as she reached to tuck a lock of blonde hair behind her ear gently, feeling Clarke lean into her touch “It isn’t easy losing someone, I know that. I know that this is the first loss you’ve had since being in 56, which just proves what an amazing paramedic you are. This is what we do though Clarke and sometimes things happen that we can’t help”

 

“I just keep thinking that I could have done more”

 

“You couldn’t have, I was there” Lexa shook her head “I know it’s difficult Clarke, I really do but you have to try and push it aside. Just until the end of the shift so you can focus on the next call and saving someone else’s life”

 

“I know” Clarke nodded as she swallowed thickly “It isn’t the first time I’ve lost someone but he tried talking in the ambulance”

 

“What did he say?”

 

“He asked me not to let him die” Clarke replied shakily, her eyes shutting tightly and a tear falling quickly

 

Lexa moved from her chair wordlessly, sitting next to Clarke and pulling the paramedic into her arms.

 

Clarke gripped onto her tightly once more and Lexa pressed a soft kiss into Clarke’s hair, closing her eyes tightly while she tried to wish the hurt away.

 

What they did wasn’t easy.

 

What they did wasn’t for the faint hearted but they served with a greater purpose.

 

It was rough on Clarke for this to happen at the very start of a shift but unfortunately it did happen.

 

“Do you want to go home and we can bring in someone else for the shift?” Lexa asked quietly but she knew what answer she would get

 

“No” Clarke said firmly “I can handle it”

 

“You can stay in here as long as you need” Lexa said

 

“Thanks” Clarke replied quietly, using her sleeve to wipe her eyes “It’s pretty embarrassing crying in front of you”

 

“No it’s not” Lexa dismissed “You are allowed to cry”

 

“You don’t cry”

 

“That’s because I’m not human” Lexa joked, her timing worked well enough to earn a small laugh from Clarke

 

“Thank you for making me come in here” Clarke nodded

 

“That’s what I’m here for” Lexa replied “And even if we weren’t together, I would have told you to come in here”

 

“I know you would have” Clarke said as she expelled a deep breath “I should go change my shirt”

 

“Okay” Lexa nodded “I need to talk to the Chief because I’m going to have to write all of this up but if you need, you can come back in here”

 

“I’ll go help Raven first” Clarke replied

 

Lexa nodded understandingly, leaning into Clarke quickly to kiss her delicately.

 

It was short but it was sweet and it was just what they both needed

 

\---

 

There were few lights on in the Firehouse as everyone on shift tried to get a little sleep before their next call came through.

 

Light illuminated from Lexa’s office as she typed away furiously on her computer, trying to write her incident reports so she could submit them straight away while everything was still fresh in her mind.

 

Clarke had been pretty quiet for the past few hours but Lexa understood that it was going to take a little while for her to push past what happened at the beginning of the shift.

 

If anyone understood what Clarke was going through, it was Lexa.

 

“You probably should give your eyes a rest” Clarke said as she walked into Lexa’s office, closing the door behind her

 

“I thought you were going to try and sleep” Lexa replied as she spun around on her chair

 

“I have been” Clarke shrugged “And I can’t but I knew you’d be awake”

 

“I just want to get everything done while I have the time” Lexa shrugged “Because the next call we have will need a new report thanks to my review”

 

“Well you’re halfway there” Clarke replied “Do you mind if I stay in here for a little while?”

 

“I don’t mind at all” Lexa smiled softly “What are you doing on Sunday?”

 

“Besides catching up on sleep?”

 

“After that” Lexa nodded “Sunday night”

 

“I don’t have any plans”

 

“I think we should go out” Lexa said “We haven’t actually had a date, we’ve spent a majority of our time getting to know each other in here and I want to take you out”

 

“I don’t know, the last date I had was of pretty high standard” Clarke joked lightly

 

“I think I can better him” Lexa nodded with a grin “So?”

 

“I’d like that” Clarke nodded

 

“Perfect” Lexa replied happily “No idea what we are going to do yet but I promise we won’t go to the diner”

 

“I wouldn’t mind” Clarke chuckled before her face sobered slightly “I was doing some thinking before too”

 

“Okay” Lexa nodded as she encouraged the other girl to continue

 

“I noticed those officers were there to see you at the call” Clarke began as she stretched herself out on Lexa’s bed to lie on her side, facing the Lieutenant

 

“Yeah, they were there” Lexa replied

 

“What do you think will happen…with everything considered?”

 

“Well we had two casualties, it’s not like we could have done anything further to prevent that and I’ll argue that until I can’t breathe anymore” Lexa answered truthfully

 

“You’d think common sense would prevail there”

 

“A lot of people don’t have common sense” Lexa shook her head “That’s why we get sent out to half the calls we do”

 

“That’s true” Clarke smiled sleepily

 

“You know you make my bed look a lot better than it actually is” Lexa smiled

 

“How’s that?”

 

“Well I just want to be next to you and usually I can’t stand that bed” Lexa replied “It’s not comfortable at all”

 

“It’s okay” Clarke shrugged

 

Lexa sighed, standing from her chair to walk towards the bed.

 

She paused, looking down at Clarke with a smile of pure adoration.

 

The girl in front of her was her definition of perfect.

 

Clarke shifted to her back and Lexa made the quick decision to straddle the other girl’s hips wordlessly.

 

She sat with her knees either side of Clarke’s waist, with her hands either side of Clarke’s head on the pillow

 

“Well hi” Clarke said as her eyes darted between Lexa’s eyes and lips

 

“Hi” Lexa whispered “I couldn’t help myself”

 

“I’m not complaining” Clarke replied as she gripped the back of Lexa’s neck firmly and pulled her down into a deep kiss

 

Clarke’s other hand moved to Lexa’s waist, her thumb finding the warm skin of her hip under her Firehouse 56 shirt.

 

Lexa was addicted to the feeling that Clarke gave her.

 

She never wanted it to disappear.

 

She realized she was at work but she knew almost everyone was asleep and she knew that the blinds were closed so it was impossible to see into her office.

 

Lexa gently and playfully bit down on Clarke’s bottom lip before soothing it with another dizzying kiss.

 

**_Firehouse 56 Rescue Squad 2 non urgent rescue required at Regent Park_ **

****

Lexa groaned in annoyance as she pulled away from Clarke’s lips with a frown

 

“Off you go” Clarke chuckled

 

“Some drunk has probably climbed up something” Lexa complained as she leaned down to press her lips once more to Clarke’s before standing from the bed and grabbing her jacket “If that’s what I had to stop kissing you for, I’ll be one very grumpy Lieutenant”

 

“I guess I’ll find out when you get back” Clarke replied

 

“You can stay in here if you want” Lexa noted as she opened her door “I’m sure we’ll be back soon”

 

“See you when you get back”

 

Lexa grunted in disapproval as she closed the door behind her and quietly made her way to the garage as she waited for her Squad to emerge.

 

“Come on, if this was urgent we would be wasting time” Lexa said as all 3 of her still waking crew members emerged into the garage

 

“But it’s not urgent”

 

“Doesn’t matter” Lexa replied as she got into the truck

 

“Okay, if it’s non urgent I think someone has gotten stuck in a park bench” Octavia said “That’s my bet”

 

“You realize it’s very unprofessional of us to take bets, even on a non-urgent rescue?” Lexa asked looking back at Octavia “But if I had to place my bet and seeing as it is a Friday night…drunk stuck up high tree”

 

“Oh that’s a good one” Octavia said with her eyes narrowing before turning to Indra “Your bet?”

 

“Something stupid” She said shaking her head “Which gets me out of bed in the cold at 3:30am. I would be okay if someone was really in trouble”

 

“Not a bet but I’ll take it your aggravation”

 

“I kind of want to go with the Octavia on this one” Lincoln replied “Park bench”

 

“Good choice” Octavia replied with a grin

 

When they arrived at the park, Lexa placed her head in her hands with a sigh of frustration at the situation in front of her.

 

She had been right.

 

She would have won the bet.

 

There was an overweight guy who Lexa assumed was indeed drunk, stuck at the very top of a high tree wearing of all things; a Batman costume.

 

“That guy shouldn’t be wearing lycra” Octavia replied as she looked out of the window

 

They got out of the truck, walking over to the two police officers that were on the scene.

 

“And what exactly have we been called out to?” Lexa asked as she put her helmet on and approached the Police Officer

 

“He’s heavily intoxicated” The first officer said “His friends thought it would be hilarious for him to climb up the tree which proved to be a problem when he tried to get down considering just how intoxicated he is”

 

“Thanks” Lexa nodded as she looked to three men, who were also dressed up as various superhero’s as they sat on a bench by the tree “So which one of you wants to climb up there and get him?”

 

They all looked at her with a blank expression, then turning to each other to figure out whether they thought she was serious.

 

“Because you encouraged him to get up there so now we have to get him down” Lexa grumbled as she walked back to the truck

 

“Someone is a little upset” Octavia joked

 

“It’s just stupid” Lexa replied “I had to leave my office for this?”

 

“What were you doing in your office that you didn’t want to leave?” Octavia asked with a hopeful grin

 

“Reporting” Lexa grunted

 

“Should I get the ladder?” Indra asked

 

“Yeah but I’m going to need to attach him to a harness because he’s pretty inebriated” Lexa replied looking up to the tree “I’ll go up first, get in the tree and try to attach him up. Octavia you are going to come up with me but you’re going to stay on the ladder and help him on. We’ll both make sure he gets down okay and Lincoln you can attach yourself to his line”

 

They set the heavy duty ladder up to the tree where the drunk man was sitting on a big branch.

 

Lexa climbed up quickly first before she moved carefully onto the branch herself

 

“Hey there Batman” Lexa said as she scooted close to the man “I’m going to put this on you and we’re going to get you down from this tree”

 

“I’m Batman” He slurred “I can get down if I want”

 

“Something tells me that you shouldn’t from this height” Lexa said as she got to work attaching the harness

 

“You smell nice” He said with a smile as he took her helmet from her head

 

“You sir do not” Lexa replied taking her helmet back to put it on again

 

“I think he likes you” Octavia said lazily as she waited on the ladder

 

“Well I’m a lost cause for him” Lexa said as she pulled on the rope, getting a thumbs up from Lincoln “Though I will admit that I am fairly impressed you got this high with how drunk you are”

 

“I’m Batman” He nodded

 

“Yes you sure are” Lexa replied sarcastically “Batman, I need you to try and move to put your feet on the ladder”

 

“Okay” He nodded as he shifted, swaying unevenly before almost falling right off the branch

 

He would have too if it weren’t for the rope holding him up

 

“Good call on the rope, Lieutenant” Octavia said

 

“Oh my god” Lexa groaned as she brought of her hands to her face, looking at the drunk overweight Batman almost hanging from the branch “This is what I spent years at the academy for?”

 

“I’ll grab his legs” Octavia said as she laughed

 

She did just that, pulling him onto the ladder safely and stepping up a rung to be able to steady him.

 

“If he goes to fall, let him” Lexa said “He’s on a harness, you aren’t”

 

“Got it”

 

It was a slow walk down the ladder, the slowest Lexa had ever experienced.

 

Once they reached the ground, the drunk Batman took the liberty of throwing up right in front of them, earning a cheer from his friends.

 

“Charming” Indra said with narrow eyes

 

“Please tell me you’re arresting him for something?” Lexa asked looking to the police officers who just nodded with a smirk

 

“Right well now that Batman is safe, let’s get back” Lexa said “Good work”

 

“Thank you” He called as he sat on the ground under the tree

 

“You’re welcome” Octavia said with a winning grin as they packed the ladder up

 

\---

 

Lexa went back into her office as the rest of Squad went back to their bunks and she found Clarke sleeping soundly on her bed.

 

Lexa smiled to herself, her body already feeling warmer just for seeing the girl.

 

She closed the door silently, slipped off her boots and got into her bed as quietly as possible.

 

“You’re back” Clarke mumbled sleepily

 

“I was right” Lexa said as she nuzzled her nose into the back of Clarke’s neck as she wrapped her arms around the paramedic’s waist to pull her as close as possible

 

“Your nose is so cold” Clarke squirmed but not really making any real effort to move away “And what were you right about?”

 

“Drunk man stuck in a tree” Lexa said simply

 

She felt Clarke shake against her in laughter for a moment before she rolled herself over to face the other girl.

 

“Sounds rough” Clarke smiled through her sleepy state

 

“It gets better though because he was dressed up as Batman” Lexa smirked “And when we got him down, he threw up in front of us”

 

“Seriously?” Clarke asked “That’s amazing”

 

“If only the officers were there on that call” Lexa chuckled “It was one of the most interesting calls of my career and that’s saying a lot”

 

“I’m a little sad I missed out” Clarke laughed “Are you going to get some sleep or do some more reporting?”

 

“Well I’m actually the one who is supposed to be awake right now” Lexa replied “But if you’ll let me, I kind of just want to stay here”

 

“Will you be able to stay awake?”

 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine” Lexa nodded as she placed a lingering kiss on Clarke’s forehead “Get some sleep”

 

“You’ve got your heart eyes on” Clarke muttered as she closed her eyes with a grin “And I really like them”

 

“Go to sleep” Lexa scolded playfully “That’s a direct order”

 

“Yes Lieutenant”

 

“I could get used to this” Lexa whispered “Having you asleep in my bed”

 

“I hope we can get used to it” Clarke replied

 

Lexa sighed, feeling a complete sense of complete content wash over her.

 

It was something she wasn’t really used to feeling within her personal life.

 

But she was willing to get used to it.

 

She wanted to.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll update as soon as I can :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this chapter is absolutely huge. 
> 
> I have chopped and changed this so many times to the point where I cut half a chapter up and combined it with another one (Which is why it's so massive) so I can get the ball really rolling. 
> 
> Let me know what you think, sorry it's so huge. I'll try to contain it next time.

They were halfway through their double shift.

 

Lexa slept silently on her bed, alone after Clarke woke up to help make breakfast for everyone.

 

She had gotten up early enough for no one to notice her coming out of Lexa’s office after sleeping in there that night.

 

Lexa felt herself falling asleep when she was holding Clarke after they came back from their call so she spent her shift awake finishing off her reports so she could indeed sleep when everyone awoke.

 

It was 9am and while Engine had been called out to put out a car fire, it had been a pretty quiet morning so far.

 

**_Firehouse 56 Ambulance 1, Medical assistance required Unit 32/67 Maple Road_ **

****

Lexa opened one eye as she heard the siren of the ambulance sound loudly only moments later.

 

She was extremely aware that it was Clarke and Raven’s first call out since the accident at the start of the shift so she hoped they would be okay on the way there.

 

She knew they were professionals, they were trained to do what they did but she couldn’t help but worry about Clarke.

 

Clarke was defeated, she was upset and she was doubting herself but Lexa knew she would push though.

 

Clarke had the heart of a lion.

 

Lexa would almost be scared to challenge her if she was passionate enough about something.

 

 More importantly, she knew what she was feeling was just the need to protect and nurture her girlfriend.

 

Which was something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

 

She let herself drift back to sleep for a little while longer until the commotion outside of her office became too much and she made her way out to the common room to find both squads having breakfast and playing cards.

 

“Morning Lieutenant” Bellamy said with a smile “I hear you had quite the rescue last night”

 

“If I ever get a call like that, next time they are getting down themselves” Lexa grumbled “I didn’t put my blood sweat and tears into being a firefighter just to rescue a drunk Batman from a tree”

 

“You kind of did though” Bellamy laughed as he gave her shoulder a squeeze “Have some breakfast and cheer up a little”

 

“Don’t tell me to cheer up” Lexa replied “But I will have some breakfast”

 

\---

 

Lexa decided to join in on the cards game as she ate her breakfast.

 

She wanted to prove wrong Clarke’s theory of how apparently everyone can read her.

 

She was determined to win at least 1 round.

 

That was until she realized Clarke was back.

 

“I’m in on the next round” Raven said as she walked over to the table, sitting next to Finn

 

“How was the call?” Lexa asked

 

“Fine, an old man fell down the stairs so we just had to get him to hospital” Raven replied “He was pretty cute, I actually think he was trying to ask us both out on a date”

 

“Good man” Lincoln smirked

 

“Where’s Clarke?” Lexa asked looking around

 

“Inventory” Raven said pointing to the garage before she put her feet up on the table with a sigh “She wanted to do it herself”

 

“I’m out, take my hand” Lexa said as she handed her cards to Raven who just smirked at her

 

Lexa chose to ignore the sniggers around the table as she made her way to the ambulance to see Clarke holding a sheet of paper out in front of her as she looked inside a small drawer

 

“You’re not getting Raven to help you out?” Lexa asked

 

“No, I want do it myself” Clarke said as her eyes stayed glued to the drawer, clearly still counting but a small smile appeared on her face as she heard Lexa’s voice “Clears my head”

 

“I hear you might have a date lined up?” Lexa asked leaning against the open ambulance door “Should I be concerned?”

 

“You really should. We’re going to hit the park at 3pm, eat pudding together, watch the news and be in bed all by 5” Clarke replied as she glanced to Lexa raising her eyebrows quickly

 

“Sounds like a magical evening” Lexa chuckled “Do you think I could match it by taking you out Sunday night still?”

 

“If you can give me a better offer than my old man, you have a deal” Clarke nodded as she looked back down at her sheet of paper with a grin

 

“I’ll pick you up at 7 then”

 

“Can’t wait”

 

“Thank you for doing inventory after every call” Lexa said seriously after a moment’s pause “I honestly appreciate you doing that while I’m on review”

 

“You’d do the same for me” Clarke nodded with a furrowed brow “Probably more”

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

Clarke looked away from her inventory checklist to look directly at the Lieutenant, pausing as she considered her answer.

 

“I’ll be completely honest, I dreamt about yesterday all last night” Clarke said

 

“I know” Lexa nodded “You were talking in your sleep”

 

“I was?”

 

“A little” Lexa replied “And of course I don’t expect you to be perfect after yesterday, it takes time”

 

“But I’m not letting it stop me” Clarke replied “I’m focused”

 

“That’s all I need then” Lexa replied with a nod “So the call was fine?”

 

“Yeah, it was just a cute little old man who took a fall down the stairs” Clarke replied folding her arms casually “Thank you for letting me sleep in your office last night”

 

“Of course” Lexa nodded

 

“It helped”

 

“Good” Lexa replied “How’s Raven? She tends to hide behind sarcasm”

 

“Sounds a bit familiar” Clarke countered

 

“I don’t use sarcasm” Lexa replied “I use wit and sharp, sharp words”

 

“Glad you know that” Clarke grinned before jumping out of the back of the ambulance to stand next to Lexa “She’s okay, I think I took it a little harder because I was in the back with him but she felt the same as me in the way of wishing we could help more”

 

“Do you think I need to talk to her about it?”

 

“No, she’ll talk to me when she needs but if she does need to talk to you she will approach you” Clarke replied “I tend to let her approach me when she needs to talk because pushing her isn’t helpful at all”

 

“Okay, thank you” 

 

\---

 

A few hours later, Lexa was out in the garage looking over the truck to make sure everything was spotless; having a feeling she would get an unexpected visit from the Commission.

 

“I think you and I should have a talk” Lexa heard Raven say as the paramedic appeared next to her

 

 “Can I ask what about?” Lexa replied

 

“You and Clarke”

 

“What about us?”

 

“I hear you are taking her out Sunday night” Raven said casually

 

“I don’t think that on shift is the best time to bring that up” Lexa said shaking her head “I’d be happy to talk to you about it after shift”

 

“It won’t take a minute and no one is in here” Raven said “Just you, me and the truck”

 

“Well I’m sure this Truck has heard a lot of things”

 

“Great because it’s about to hear more” Raven said quickly “You make Clarke happy and I really like that. You’re a great Lieutenant; you’re definitely the best I have ever worked for”

 

“Well thank you” Lexa said with a smile “This is not what I was expecting”

 

“And if you do anything to hurt my best friend, I’ll crush you”

 

“That’s what I was waiting for” Lexa sighed “You do realize I’m your boss, right?”

 

“Yeah but I’m her best friend” Raven shrugged “And it’s my duty to protect her from any potential heartbreak”

 

“Okay well first of all, I’m not going to break her heart and second of all…How do I word this?”

 

“Just say it” Raven shrugged

 

“You can’t say that to me” Lexa said shaking her head

 

“I just did”

 

Lexa’s facial expression would have been priceless for anyone else to see.

 

She looked enraged yet amused, frustrated yet challenged and perplexed but also impressed all rolled into one.

 

She was effectively rendered speechless.

 

“So, you know” Raven said as she hit her Lieutenant between the shoulder blades “Just remember that”

 

With that, she left the room with a proud smile on her face which left Lexa trying to figure out whether that really happened or not.

\---

 

Lexa sighed in relief as she hit send on the report email from their double shift.

 

She had stayed up most of Saturday night again writing it out while everyone else slept, including her girlfriend who was out sleeping in her bunk.

 

Sunday morning had arrived.

 

It had been a trying shift and it had also been a very busy one.

 

Nothing like a double overnight shift on the weekends.

 

She rubbed her eyes as she heard the commotion of a shift change occurring outside of her office.

 

Lexa was last from her rotation to leave; she saw a few of her squad on the way out but she changed in the locker room by herself and made her way out to the cool morning where she found Clarke sitting on the front of her car in the almost empty part of their carpark.

 

“This is a nice surprise” Lexa said as she pulled the hood of her jacket over her head

 

“Well I figured you waited an hour outside at 11pm for me so I could stand 10 minutes in the sun” Clarke smiled “Did you actually get any sleep last night?”

 

“Not really” Lexa shook her head “But I can sleep all day today and get my rest for our date”

 

“Good idea” Clarke replied “That was a pretty epic shift”

 

“It was huge” Lexa responded as she reached out to toy with the hem of Clarke’s coat “How are you holding up?”

 

“I’ll get there” Clarke said seriously as she nodded

 

“Well if I can help you get there sooner, just let me know”

 

“I will, thank you” Clarke replied as she reached out to take the hand that was fiddling with her coat “Have you heard anything about the officers going to our first call?”

 

“No and I don’t think I will until my review is over” Lexa shook her head as she looked down at their joined hands, a small smile breaking through her serious expression “I’m excited about taking you out tonight”

 

“Me too” Clarke nodded “I heard Raven gave you the whole best friend speech so I’m sorry about that”

 

“Well it was completely inappropriate” Lexa laughed “But if it was said outside of work, it’s understandable”

 

“She’s just trying to scare you”

 

“And again, I’m her boss” Lexa replied shaking her head before a deep yawn took hold of her

 

“You should get home to bed before you fall asleep” Clarke said giving the brunette’s hand a squeeze, stepping from the car to place a gentle kiss on Lexa’s cool cheek

 

Lexa smiled as she felt Clarke’s lips on her skin, Clarke letting them linger for a few seconds longer than necessary.

 

“I’ll pick you up at 7?”

 

“Sounds good to me” Clarke nodded before she backed away from Lexa’ holding her hand until the last moment possible “Get some rest Lieutenant”

 

“I will”

 

 ---  

 

Lexa stood outside Clarke’s apartment door with a flower she had picked from the garden next to her apartment building.

 

Clarke had buzzed her in and told her to come up so she wasn’t sure why she felt those little butterflies bothering her in her stomach.

 

Lexa groaned inwardly as she realized just how much of a cliché that made her sound, she was a romantic at heart for sure but not on the level she was moving to.

 

She knew that she had Clarke to blame for that one.

 

She knocked on the door lightly and it opened almost straight away but instead of Clarke, she found a dressed up Raven standing in front of her with a grin.

 

“Well hello” Raven said cocking an eyebrow as she smirked

 

Lexa didn’t have words for the girl in front of her.

 

She couldn’t find any.

 

For the second time in as many days, Raven had caused Lexa to be speechless.

 

“Okay get away from the door” She heard as Clarke appeared behind Raven, glancing at Lexa with a small smile before staring a hole in the back of her best friend’s head “Come on”

 

“Well we’re leaving in 5 minutes” Raven replied, turning to Clarke before moving behind the blonde

 

“Okay, I’m really confused” Lexa said shaking her head “Am I taking Raven out, not you? Because I asked you out on a date”

 

“No” Clarke chuckled “But I do need to talk to you about something”

 

“And what’s that?”

 

“Well Raven has kind of hijacked our date and made it a double date because she really wants to meet this guy she has been talking online with” Clarke said awkwardly “And I know this was going to be our first real date, and it still can be but she practically begged me”

 

“Okay” Lexa nodded, she would have been lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed but she was still happy she was spending time with Clarke

 

“I know, I’m sorry” Clarke replied shaking her head “I’ll make it up to you”

 

“It’s okay” Lexa shook her head “I uh, picked you a flower…which could be a weed”

 

“Thank you” Clarke said chuckling as she took the almost frozen flower from Lexa’s hand “We should get going, we’re meeting this guy for dinner”

 

“Is this going to be super awkward?” Lexa asked with knitted eyebrows

 

“Probably” Clarke nodded before leaning over to kiss Lexa softly for a moment, pulling away to look back and forth between both her eyes with a soft expression “But at least I have you”

 

Lexa could have melted right then and there the way Clarke was looking at her, her blue eyes radiating anything and everything she needed to know.

 

“Come on love birds” Raven said fondly “You might make me feel a bit sick but you’re really cute”

 

\---

 

“So who is this guy?” Lexa asked as they sat at their table across from Clarke “It’s not the guy you tried to set Clarke up with, is it?”

 

“Well first of all, I didn’t try and set Clarke up with anyone. I used that guy to push you into making a move and you being on a date with her right now is proof that I’m a genius” Raven said as she looked towards the door of the restaurant “And I met him online, we’ve been talking for a week so I thought why not meet up with him”

 

“So why did we have to come?” Clarke asked

 

“Because you’re my best friend and a double date is much less intimidating than a regular date” Raven shrugged “I mean he seems nice but you never know”

 

“He’s 20 minutes late, are you sure he knows where to go?” Lexa asked raising an eyebrow

 

“He’s the one who suggested this place” Raven replied with a nod “He is pretty late though”

 

“Should you text him, see where he is?”

 

“I’ll give it a few minutes before I start panicking” Raven answered “But I’m starving so maybe we should order something”

 

“We can’t order if he isn’t here” Lexa grumbled “And I hope that changes soon because I’ve been asleep most of the day so I haven’t eaten since this morning”

 

“I’m the same” Raven agreed “So this is not winning him any points”

 

Another 20 minutes passed and the guy was still a no show.

 

The girls were starving, Raven wasn’t getting a reply from her supposed date and Lexa was just about ready to begin chewing on the cutlery in front of her.

 

Raven was hiding her disappointment pretty well but Lexa knew that there was actual disappointment there.

 

“Okay, I have an idea” Lexa said as she stood from the table

 

“What?” Raven grumbled

 

“We’re leaving and going to get something excellent to eat that will make you forget all about this guy” Lexa replied as she took her coat from the back of the chair “Come on”

 

Clarke and Raven looked at each other, before standing from the table and following Lexa out of the restaurant.

 

Lexa opened the car doors for them both and once they got in she began to drive.

 

“I’m a little concerned as to what’s happening here” Raven said from the backseat “Just how much sleep did you get?”

 

“You’ll thank me when we get there” Lexa replied as she looked back into the revision mirror

 

It was a short drive to their local park, the car rolled to a stop as Lexa pulled up next to a decently busy food truck that Clarke or Raven had ever seen before.

 

“Stay in here, I’ll be right back” Lexa said as she jumped out of the car quickly

 

It seemed as if it had gotten colder between the drive from the restaurant to the park.

 

Lexa hugged her jacket and ducked her head as she approached the food truck, lining up behind 2 people who were already being served.

 

A few moments later she returned back to the car with 3 boxes white cardboard boxes piled up on each other.

 

She gave one to both of the girls, shutting the door behind her and letting a shiver rip through her body.

 

“This is probably going to be the best day of your life” Lexa said as the sweet smell of waffles filled her car

 

“I don’t know whether it’s just that I’m really hungry or depressed but I could cry right now” Raven said with wide eyes as she looked down at the mound of waffles sitting beside her “It’s beautiful”

 

“Not something I recommend you eat regularly but I think tonight called for it” Lexa nodded as she looked to Clarke, who had already began eating hers

 

“Why have I not heard about this truck before?” Clarke asked

 

“It’s a bit of a secret I stumbled upon one night” Lexa shrugged “And I tell as little people as possible so they don’t get too busy, which is really selfish but I have to be able to be selfish about something”

 

“This is the best date ever” Raven replied with a grin “Even if my date didn’t show up”

 

“He’s an idiot for not showing up” Clarke said turning back to her best friend

 

“Was this going to be your actual date plans?” Raven asked “If it was, can Clarke and I both date you?”

 

“No, it wasn’t” Lexa laughed

 

“What were we going to do?” Clarke asked curiously

 

“I’ll save that for our first actual date” Lexa replied with a shrug

 

“This is a date” Clarke shrugged “You’re just on a date with my best friend too”

 

“Who both report to me” Lexa replied “If the commission could only see us now”

 

“Hey, we’re only eating waffles” Raven said “Besides, we’ve been near perfect all week so they have no reason to kick you out and if they did I think everyone in that firehouse would leave too”

 

“That would be pointless” Lexa shook her head as she looked back at Raven “You’d only have one fired instead of many”

 

“Yeah but some things are more important than work” Raven said

 

“Some things are” Lexa said as she glanced at her girlfriend before looking back at the other paramedic “But what we do isn’t just work”

 

“Is this the park where you got that drunk guy down from the tree?”

 

“You mean Batman?” Lexa asked “And yes”

 

“Oh man, I wish I saw that” Raven replied “Why didn’t they need an ambulance on that call”

 

“So seeing as this date fell through, what about that old man that asked you out?” Lexa suggested

 

“Too soon Lieutenant” Raven said shaking her head but a smirk on her face “Too soon”

 

\---

 

Lexa curled herself into Clarke’s side, her arm gripping Clarke’s waist tightly as she rested her head on the blonde’s chest, feeling gentle fingers raking through her hair and scratching her scalp every so often.

 

Clarke’s room was dark, the flicker of the TV on her wall the only dull light in the room.

 

Lexa didn’t know what they were watching; she didn’t care because all it was to her was just background noise.

 

She found out very quickly that one of her favourite things to do with Clarke was to just cuddle up next to her and listen to the hum in her chest as she spoke quietly, hearing her heart beat and trying to compare it with her own.

 

“You’re going to put me to sleep” Lexa mumbled as her eyes fluttered closed

 

“You probably need it” Clarke replied “Because I definitely don’t believe that you slept all day”

 

“I slept most of the day” Lexa protested “Just don’t let me go to sleep again”

 

“Okay” Clarke chuckled “I’ll try and keep you awake”

 

“At this rate” Lexa said as she propped her head up from Clarke’s chest to look her in the eyes with a lazy grin “You’ll have me to sleep in about 2 minutes”

 

“Well at least you’ll be getting some sleep” Clarke replied as a smile spread on her lips “So thank you for tonight”

 

“I didn’t really do anything” Lexa mumbled as she began toying with the material of Clarke’s shirt by her side after putting her head back to Clarke’s chest

 

“You did though” Clarke replied “Raven hides when she is hurt really well, you are both pretty similar that way but you made the best out of a bad situation”

 

“Well I did get waffles out of it” Lexa shrugged

 

“Yeah, they were amazing” Clarke responded as she continued to run her hand through Lexa’s hair

 

“They really are” Lexa said as she yawned “Maybe I should go home, it’s getting pretty late”

 

“You should just stay over” Clarke suggested

 

“Stay here?” Lexa asked, propping herself up again on her elbows next to the blonde

 

“Yeah, I kind of don’t want you to leave just yet and you seem really tired”

 

“That’s because I’m really warm and comfortable” Lexa replied as she felt those butterflies in her stomach stir again, cursing herself internally for being so vulnerable with this girl “But if you want me to stay, I would like that”

 

“Then you’re staying” Clarke said quietly as she moved to press her lips to Lexa’s gently

 

The kiss was over all too soon for Lexa liking, frowning slightly as Clarke pulled away.

 

“Good thing I have a uniform in my car” Lexa mumbled as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand

 

“You do?”

 

“I always have a spare one just in case I get called in when I’m not on duty” Lexa shrugged “Being prepared is half the battle”

 

“You’re actually a robot” Clarke chuckled with a shake of her head

 

“How am I a robot?” Lexa asked raising an eyebrow

 

“You’re literally the Commission’s dream so I don’t know why you’re being reviewed” Clarke replied

 

“I definitely feel like I’m being set up to fail this review” Lexa grumbled “And I don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of it”

 

“Have you told the Chief this?”

“Yeah but he’s not going to say anything to agree with what I think” Lexa replied “He’s too politically correct for that”

 

“Hey you can’t be too harsh on him, I mean he was completely fine with us” Clarke said

 

“Which surprised me” Lexa shrugged

 

Lexa pushed herself up once more to place a soft kiss on Clarke’s warm neck, feeling a shiver erupt through the blonde as she let the tip of her tongue touch her pulse point before closing her lips over her skin.

 

Lexa smirked against Clarke’s skin as she trailed a line of slow, deliberate kisses to the spot right behind her ear which caused Clarke to grip tightly on the back of Lexa's shirt

 

Mischievously she then moved to take Clarke’s earlobe against her lips, biting down and tugging on it very gently, hearing a small gasp leave Clarke’s mouth as she felt the grip on her back only increase.

 

She soothed the bite by placing a gentle kiss on the earlobe and returning her head to rest on Clarke’s chest being amused by her sudden increase in heart rate.

 

“Hey” Clarke scolded almost breathlessly

 

Lexa laughed quietly, proud of her achievements before she shut her eyes, all the while trying to ignore the fact that her heart felt as if it was about to burst from her chest.

 

That was just a normal feeling that Clarke Griffin often caused now.

 

\---

 

Lexa was tired and she was grumpy.

 

She had just finished her last official shift under review and she had finally reached the end of her patience with the whole situation.

 

She was over all of the paperwork she had to submit.

 

She was completely done with the fact that she had to keep her and Clarke a secret.

 

But most of all she was sick and tired of the Commission trying to stick their nose in where it didn’t belong.

 

She had 5 spot inspections over the course of the week, every single one coming directly after a call where she found officers waiting at the Firehouse for them.

 

She didn’t like the way the officers were trying to push her squad.

 

She especially didn’t like the way the officers were trying to push Clarke as Paramedic in Charge.

 

At one point she told one of the officers very loudly that they should try and count inventory after every single call, saying that both of her paramedics had skipped meals or sleep due to the extra formalities that were being forced upon them.

 

She was quickly pulled away by Bellamy who told her to calm down but she was too busy being furious to listen to him.

 

There she was, at the end of a long Friday day shift sitting in the Chief’s office while he talked on the phone to someone on the Commission in front of her.

 

She had been dragged in there like a naughty school child on detention after class by the Chief who looked pretty furious with her after she argued with the officers.

 

He hung the phone up and looked to her silently while Lexa just looked right back at him.

 

“I know that you’re tired and I know it’s been a long 2 weeks” The Chief began “But you can’t just argue with officers that come into our Firehouse because they are doing their jobs”

 

“They were here 5 times in 5 days” Lexa replied calmly “I would love to hear your theory on that one”

 

“Lieutenant, I am not another fight you should be picking” The Chief warned

 

“They were here every time after a call” Lexa said “When things had been the most chaotic”

 

“They had every right to be here” The Chief replied “I just had a Commissioner on the phone to me letting me know that he didn’t take too kindly to his officers being yelled at by a Lieutenant”

 

“Wallace, I’m guessing?”

 

“That’s enough, Lieutenant” The Chief warned once more

 

“You know that is isn’t just a coincidence though” Lexa protested, her facial expression one of disbelief

 

“They had every right to be here” The Chief repeated “And they didn’t step out of their jurisdiction”

 

“Okay but how about when they were pressing Clarke and Raven about the ambulance?” Lexa challenged “Asking why an inventory check wasn’t done at the end of the last call?”

 

“Do I need to repeat what I just said?”

 

“How were they supposed to do inventory when we were called out again 5 minutes later?” Lexa asked folding her arms

 

“Are your personal feeling coming into play here, defending Griffin and Reyes?”

 

“I’m their Lieutenant” Lexa said without skipping a beat

 

“Lexa I can’t do anything about what the Commission are doing here” The Chief said “But it’s in your best interest to cooperate and just let them do what they need to do. Your whole review was glowing with positivity before your outburst”

 

“I somehow doubt that though” Lexa replied

 

“I don’t know why you always think the world is against you” The Chief replied “Because it’s not”

 

“Then why was a decision to review me made in the first place?” Lexa asked “That’s an answer that I keep asking but no one seems to have an answer for”

 

“People get reviewed” The Chief responded

 

“For good reasons usually” Lexa snapped “Really, they should have to show me probable cause”

 

“No they don’t” The Chief replied “I’m going to make a suggestion here Lieutenant and that is you need to keep your temper under control. I understand it has been a frustrating two weeks and they have made things difficult for you but you breaking like that could have proved whoever might doubt you, correct”

 

“Can I make a suggestion?”

 

“No” The Chief warned “You are one hell of an Lieutenant and I respect you but you need to be more careful whose toes you step on”

 

“I stepped on toes because they stepped on mine” Lexa responded as she stood from her chair “And they came in to harass my squad”

 

“Have you submitted all of your reports for this shift?”

 

“No sir”

 

“Then I suggest you lock yourself in your office now until you finish them” The Chief replied “Once you’re done, go home and cool down”

 

“Yes sir” Lexa grumbled

 

“And you’re lucky that I know what an asset you are to this place” The Chief said “You can’t get away with talking to your superiors like that”

 

“I’m just presenting a discussion” Lexa shook her head “But it’s hard to when you feel like you are talking to a brick wall”

 

“Okay, you can leave” The Chief responded in a frustrated tone

 

“Thank you sir” Lexa grumbled as she walked out of the Chief’s office to storm into her office and close the door

 

“So I think everyone in the district heard that” Clarke said sitting in Lexa’s chair “You probably shouldn’t argue with the Chief like that”

 

“I only argue when I think it’s worth arguing for and how they have dragged you all into a review that is supposed to be for just me is definitely one of those situations”

 

“We are a part of your squad though” Clarke reasoned “Which is a direct reflection on you. Raven and I handled the officer’s fine”

 

“Yeah but they were harassing you after a pretty serious call during a busy shift and then they were question Octavia on all of her procedures like they thought she had no idea what was going on just because she was young” Lexa said with her hands on her hips “She clearly is one of the best squad members this house has had in a very long time”

 

“And you know that because you are her Lieutenant”

 

“What I’m mostly frustrated about though is that it’s been 14 days” Lexa said “My time for review is up but no one seems to know just why I’m under review”

 

“So when will you find out how the review went?”

 

“I don’t know, maybe another week or so” Lexa shook her head

 

“I guess you will find out then” Clarke shrugged

 

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to snap at you” Lexa sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose “I don’t think I have been this stressed in a long time”

 

“Which is why we should go out tonight” Clarke said

 

“We should?” Lexa asked opening her eyes to look at the blonde

 

“Everyone is going out tonight to get some dinner at the Blake’s family restaurant and they charged me with making you come with”

 

“Why?”

 

“Lexa, they know we are together” Clarke replied “It’s just that no one is saying anything because they know you’re under review”

 

“How do you know that they know for sure?”

 

“They’re not blind” Clarke shrugged

 

“What time are we going to dinner?”

 

“I think at around 7” Clarke said looking to the clock on the wall “Will you be ready in 2 hours?”

 

“I have a few end of shift reports to finalize but that should be fine” Lexa nodded “Are you leaving now?”

 

“Yeah, I’m going to get changed” Clarke responded as she stood from the chair to cup the Lieutenant’s face in her hands gently, her thumbs resting over Lexa’s cheeks “But I’ll meet you there?”

 

“You should have done that when I came in” Lexa said with a small smile

 

“Yeah?” Clarke asked as she leaned in to kiss Lexa very gently before pulling away but resting their foreheads together “Why’s that?”

“Because you calmed me down instantly” Lexa replied with her eyes still closed

 

“I have never met anyone like you” Clarke said with a fond smile

 

“I don’t doubt that” Lexa grinned lazily

 

“I’ll see you at 7” Clarke spoke quietly before she joined their lips once more in a chaste but sweet kiss

 

\---

 

Lexa arrived at the restaurant at 7:30, arriving half an hour late.

 

She knew the comments were going to be relentless considering she was such a stickler for time while they were on shift but she had been filing reports left right and center in her office.

 

She hardly had time to go back to her apartment and change.

 

Lexa had a very quick shower, brushed her hair, changed and ran out the door.

 

“Oh, so she decided to show up!” Bellamy called as Lexa pushed through the door of the warm, Italian restaurant

 

“Yeah okay” Lexa nodded while walking towards the table, taking the free seat next to Clarke “Well while you were all finished shift, I was finishing my reporting”

 

“You’d have to be happy that your double reporting is over, right?” Octavia asked

 

“You have no idea” Lexa nodded as she looked down at the menu before looking to Clarke, who was watching her with a smile that matched the temperature of the room “Hi”

 

“I like your hair when it’s a little messy” Clarke grinned

 

“Thanks” Lexa replied as she instinctively ran a hand through the brown locks

 

“Okay I want an answer right here, right now” Octavia said looking directly at Lexa

 

“You don’t want to ask what you are going to” Lexa challenged

 

“We’re outside of work” Octavia challenged right back

 

“Doesn’t mean I’ll forget when we are at work”

 

“You love me” Octavia joked “You two finally sorted it out, right? You’re together?”

 

Lexa looked to Clarke who just shrugged, her expression not giving away anything as she waited for the Lieutenant to confirm or deny.

 

“Yes” Lexa said with a sigh

 

“I knew it” Octavia said a little too excitedly as she hit the table with the palm of her hand and looked to Bellamy “You need to pay up”

 

“Pay up?” Clarke asked

 

“I knew you were together but Bell over here didn’t think so”

 

“Why? You’re one of the people who told me to go for it” Lexa said looking down the table at her fellow Lieutenant

 

“No paperwork has been submitted” Bellamy replied skeptically

 

“I was on review” Lexa shrugged “The Chief told me that I shouldn’t submit it until I’m done…which is going to have to extend to after I hear the results after I went off today. If you could all just keep this to yourselves for now, that would be great”

 

“There’s no one else we’re going to tell” Lincoln said shaking his head

 

“And for pulling that one over me, I know you and Lincoln are together so I expect paperwork to be on my desk first thing Sunday” Lexa said eyeing both Lincoln and Octavia with a winning smirk

 

You could hear a pin drop at their table as everyone looked around before they erupted with laughter and heckles for the two squad members.

 

“Okay” Octavia replied as she narrowed her eyes “I’ll get you back for that one”

 

“You can try” Lexa shrugged

 

Lexa felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she sighed assuming it was work related.

 

When she pulled her phone out, she saw the Caller ID as the district police station.

 

“You going to take it?” Clarke asked as she watched Lexa just looking at her phone

 

“No” Lexa said as she put it down on the table “I’m off shift”

 

The phone stopped ringing, much to her relief before the vibration started again which resulting in a deep sigh leaving Lexa’s mouth.

 

“Just take it” Clarke nodded

 

“Lexa speaking” Lexa answered as she put the phone up to her ear and stood to move away from the table

 

“Lieutenant, it’s officer Echo”

 

“Officer Echo, I’m currently off duty” Lexa said “You’ll need to call the Firehouse if you need something urgently”

 

“No I was calling for you” Officer Echo replied quickly

 

“Me?”

 

“I need to talk to you”

 

“Can I ask why?” Lexa asked

 

“You’re going to want to come and meet me at the station” She said quietly “And you’re going to want to do it very soon”

 

“What’s going on?” Lexa pressed

 

“I can’t really discuss this over the phone because someone could overhear”

 

“I’m not coming down there if you don’t tell me what this is about” Lexa replied

 

“This is in your interest if you do” Officer Echo said before pausing “It’s about the Structure fire case that Gustus was killed in”

 

“What about it?” Lexa asked through clinched teeth “That case was solved”

 

“No I don’t think it was” Officer Echo replied “And I think you will want to know exactly what I just found”

 

“You’re at the police station now?” Lexa asked

 

“Yeah”

 

“I’ll come now” Lexa replied before taking her phone away from her ear

 

“Everything okay?” Clarke asked looking back at her from her seat

 

“I actually need to go” Lexa announced before looking directly at Clarke “I’ll call you after”

 

“Where are you going?” Octavia asked

 

“They need me down at the police station for something” Lexa replied as she leaned down to peck Clarke on the cheek “Duty calls”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully that wasn't too busy for you all!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for being amazing as per usual. I really love hearing from you so please keep that going because it honestly keeps me going! I smile like an idiot when I read each and every comment, so thank you :) 
> 
> Hope you like this chapter, this one has plenty of content as well. 
> 
> I'm trying to set a few things up for the next couple of chapters.

Lexa wasted no time making her way down to the police station.

 

She parked her car in the busy car park, stepping out into the cold night as she walked towards the doors of the station.

 

The restaurant had been so warm and she was really in need of some down time so Lexa really hoped that Officer Echo wasn’t wasting her time.

 

Somehow though, she didn’t think this was going to be a waste of time.

 

She pushed through the doors and a cold gust of wind followed her in as she immediately took her gloves off and shoved them in her jacket pockets roughly.

 

“Hey Lieutenant” She heard an officer that Lexa had recognized from a few calls say with a surprised smile “Can I help you?”

 

“Officer Echo wanted to see me” Lexa said simply “Is she around?”

 

“Now that I think about it, she did say she was expecting you” He nodded “Go on through, her office is second on the left as you walk in”

 

Lexa nodded in thanks as she was buzzed into the back of the office, noticing just how much was going on around her.

 

“Lieutenant” Echo said with a nod as Lexa reached her office “Come on in and close the door behind you”

 

“So what exactly are you calling me about that was so urgent?” Lexa asked

 

“I found something and I thought you should know about it”

 

“Okay, well what did you find?” Lexa questioned

 

“Sit down” Officer Echo suggested pointing to the chair in front of her desk

 

“I’m okay standing”

 

“We might be here a little while” Officer Echo replied “And before I show you, I need you to promise me that you will keep this information closely guarded. I’m showing you this because I really respect you and I don’t think this can stay hidden”

 

“Officer, with all due respect; what the hell are you talking about?” Lexa asked taking Echo’s advice and sitting down across from her desk

 

“I was called by my superior who told me that you were on some kind of a review and that someone on the Commission had asked me to dig up the case file about the structure fire” Officer Echo began

 

“Wait, why do they need to look at something from 2 years ago?”

 

“I have no idea” Echo shrugged “Anyway, I was just having a look through the file and noticed a few things in the paper file were missing compared to the archived databases”

 

“Okay” Lexa said waiting again for the officer to elaborate

 

“So I looked into it because I thought it was a bit weird. I was around when this case came in so I knew the investigation was pretty huge and this file didn’t reflect that. There were several leads to this case that weren’t followed up” Echo said “Probably most importantly the guy who was actually convicted had an airtight alibi that clearly the officer in charge of this case looked over or just ignored”

 

“So you’re telling me that there is an innocent man in jail for that fire and whoever actually started it is free?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrows

 

“That part I know for sure. There are several witness statements that showed the man charged was at an AA meeting” Echo nodded “He was a recovering alcoholic that had committed arson before but this guy couldn’t have been there according to these initial reports that seemed to be missed in the official case summary. Some people here had it out for the guy convicted, he did some horrible things but I don’t think he started that fire”

 

“So who did it then?” Lexa asked quickly “And how quickly can I put them away?”

 

“That’s where I think it gets interesting and also where you need to keep this to yourself for now until you can find out for sure whether this missing lead is correct” Echo said “And you need to promise me that you won’t tell anyone I was the one who showed you this”

 

“What did you find?” Lexa asked leaning forward

 

“There were a list of suspects and I thought you might find it interesting to see one name in particular on there” Echo said as she turned her computer screen to face Lexa “This was of course early on in the investigation”

 

Lexa narrowed her eyes as she looked down the list of names and didn’t see anything of significance until she saw the name second from the bottom.

 

Cage Wallace.

 

“What the hell is Cage Wallace doing on that list?” Lexa asked immediately

 

“Apparently there were few witnesses to the fire, only 2 and they were homeless men but they both identified Cage Wallace as being at the scene” Echo replied folding her arms

 

“So because they were homeless men, their opinions were just brushed off?” Lexa asked “How far did the investigation go into Cage?”

 

“Not very far” Echo replied shaking her head “They interviewed Cage once judging by the one transcript and he actually doesn’t have a good alibi. According to his story, he was at the firehouse but the officer on this case entered into her notes that he wasn’t rostered on that night. No one had accounted for him their either”

 

“And the cop on this case just stopped investigating then and there?” Lexa asked

 

“The officer was pulled from the case and a new one was assigned to it at that point” Echo replied shaking her head “Which ended any trail to Cage Wallace at all. Interesting to note as well that the Chief of Police at that time was actually really good friends with Dante Wallace”

 

“Oh my god” Lexa said with wide eyes “He pulled Cage off the suspect list?!”

 

“No I can’t confirm that” Echo said with her hands up defensively “And you can’t jump to conclusions but that is what it looks like”

 

“Cage Wallace set the fire that killed Gustus?” Lexa said slowly

 

“Lieutenant, I told you that we can’t prove anything yet and I am not in any power to convict him” Echo said “This case is closed”

 

“So reopen it”

 

“I can’t, only if we have probable cause to”

 

“How is this not probable cause?!” Lexa asked loudly

 

“We’d pretty much need a confession from either Dante or Cage” Echo admitted “And who knows how we’d get that”

 

“Is there proof that Dante and the Chief were friends?”

 

“It was common knowledge that they went to college together” Echo nodded “But that isn’t a good enough link. Do you know what Dante Wallace did before he became a Firefighter? Do you know what their family business used to be?”

 

“I have no idea” Lexa said as she felt her stomach churn, she had no idea how to process what was unraveling in front of her

 

“The Wallace family had a carpet business that failed right before Dante became a Firefighter” Echo said “Why that’s interesting is because according to these files, the empty warehouse was owned under the Wallace family name. It was abandoned and condemned but was also due to be demolished in 2 week’s time after the fire. How and why that was kept out of the media, I have no idea”

 

“And _all_ of this was just overlooked?” Lexa asked, her voice shaking as everything began to piece together in her mind

 

“Yes” Echo said simply before she exhaled sharply “I know that you two don’t get along, I don’t think anyone within the system actually likes the guy but do you have any idea why he would light a fire in that building, which was obviously in your district?”

 

“I mean…I don’t know” Lexa replied “I was made Lieutenant before him, we went through the academy together and he always got through things because of his dad. He hated me for the fact that I made it to Lieutenant rank before he did”

 

“That’s a start” Echo nodded “Do you remember seeing him?”

 

“I don’t remember a lot from that night besides what happened inside that building” Lexa shook her head

 

“I’m going to give you a file of everything I found” Echo said as she pushed a manila folder across her desk “I can’t be seen as looking into this file any further and what I’m giving you would definitely get me fired so I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone this is why you were here. And you can’t tell anyone about this for the moment because this could cause all kinds of trouble. Not just for you but for everyone around you”

 

“So I just have to let this go?” Lexa asked “Cage Wallace probably started the fire that killed one of the best people I have ever known, and I have to let it go?”

 

“Absolutely not” Echo shook her head “Just come back here with a confession and I’ll gladly arrest him. I can’t reopen the case without probable cause that hasn’t already been reviewed. It won’t stand. This has implications for everyone Lexa, this will tear through the Police and Fire Departments so don’t take this lightly. Dante Wallace wanted to keep a lot of people quiet on this and he did a good job of it”

 

Lexa nodded wordlessly at the officer in front of her.

 

She didn’t know exactly what she was thinking in her own mind but all she could picture was Gustus.

 

Yes, she realized what ramifications this would cause but she also knew that an innocent man was sitting in a prison cell and a man who most likely committed this crime was free.

 

He was working a few neighbourhood’s away from her.

 

He held the same rank as her.

 

“It’s probably best that we aren’t seen together anywhere but in this office” Echo nodded “I’m going to have to give the Commission the edited report but if you think you can prove something then you come and tell me before you do a thing. Got it?”

 

“Yeah, thank you” Lexa nodded as she stood quickly, taking the folder and exiting her office without another sound.

 

She went to her car, locking her doors as she put the folder on the passenger seat next to her.

 

She felt as if she was in some kind of warped reality or thought she might have still been dreaming.

 

Lexa didn’t understand how something so unjust could be caused by someone within her own organization.

 

How a Commissioner of all people could let an innocent man rot in jail all the while knowing what really happened.

 

She couldn’t believe that someone who was running a Firehouse was most likely the one who started the fire.

 

But also that someone who was supposed to be upholding the law bent it so his friend’s kid wasn’t investigated.

 

Lexa pulled her phone from her pocket, a tiny smile appeared on her face as she saw a text from Clarke just making sure she was okay.

 

She put the phone to her ear, leaning her elbow against the glass of her window as she heard the phone ring a few times before Clarke picked up

 

“Hey Lexa” Clarke said happily as she heard some laughter in the background

 

“You still out?” Lexa asked

 

“Yeah, we’re still out at dinner” Clarke replied “Are you coming back?”

 

“No, I’m still at the police station” Lexa answered quietly “Can I meet you at your apartment when you’re finished up?”

 

“Yeah of course” Clarke said with a smile evident in her tone “Everything okay?”

 

“Yeah, its fine” Lexa replied quietly “I’ll see you later”

 

“I’ll be home soon”

 

“Take your time” Lexa said softly as she pulled the phone away from her ear to hang up

 

Lexa started her car and began to drive.

 

She felt like everything was a blur around her but she focused as much as she could on the road with everything running through her mind.

 

She didn’t know how she got there but she soon found herself parked across the road from Firehouse 34.

 

She didn’t know how she got there and she didn’t know why she allowed herself to be there but she was.

 

She gripped the steering wheel, looking out to the doors of the Firehouse as Cage Wallace strolled out towards his car.

 

Lexa knew she could confront him at that very moment.

 

He was alone.

 

But the timing wasn’t right.

 

Lexa had a whole lot of damning allegations but she didn’t have a plan of attack to get a confession nor did she have any real solid facts.

 

She watched Cage smile at his phone happily before he unlocked his car.

 

A man was locked in a prison cell.

 

Her friend was dead.

 

And this guy was enjoying his Friday night.

 

Lexa started her car and began to drive towards Clarke’s house because she knew if she stayed she would get out and do something really stupid.

 

\---

 

She sat inside her car for 40 minutes; looking over everything inside folder Echo had given her.

 

Everything Echo had told her was completely backed up by all the paperwork in front of her.

 

How all of this slipped through the cracks, Lexa had no idea.

 

Though she figured it would have been a bit easier seeing as all of this was clearly forced through the cracks, it had been no accident.

 

She jumped as she heard a light tap on her window, looking out to see a softly smiling Clarke.

 

Her eyes sparkled and the moonlight reflected off of her skin perfectly.

 

Lexa smiled in relief, closing the folder and allowing Clarke to open the door for her.

 

“Hey there” Lexa greeted as she leaned over to kiss Clarke on the cheek quickly after she got out of her car

 

“I know you were hungry so I got you some spaghetti to take away” Clarke said holding up a plastic bag in her hand

 

“Well aren’t you amazing” Lexa said with a soft smile, taking the bag from Clarke’s hand “Thank you”

 

“That’s okay” Clarke replied “Dinner wasn’t the same without you”

 

“Yeah I wish I could have stayed” Lexa nodded

 

“Are you okay?” Clarke asked noticing the Lieutenant’s distance “What happened at the police station?”

 

“I found something out that I probably wasn’t ever meant to find out” Lexa said looking around them “And I want to tell you about it but I don’t want to implicate you in this”

 

“What happened?”

 

“Something big” Lexa answered honestly “Something _really_ big”

 

“You can tell me if you want to” Clarke nodded

 

“I want to tell you but I don’t know whether this could put you in any danger” Lexa replied “I don’t even know whether it puts _me_ in any danger”

 

“Well to be honest Lexa, I think I should be able to decide what puts me in danger” Clarke said seriously “You should give me the right to decide that”

 

“You’re right” Lexa said swallowing thickly “But I only want to protect you”

 

“I can look after myself” Clarke replied “Let’s go up to my apartment, Raven will be out for a while so we can talk in my room”

 

Lexa nodded as she reached back into her car, taking the folder from the passenger seat and locking her door once it was closed.

 

Lexa felt numb.

 

She didn’t feel numb because she was freezing but she felt numb because she was overwhelmed.

 

What was she supposed to do with the information she was given to her?

 

How was she supposed to take on a Commissioner when she was just a Lieutenant?

 

\---

 

The manila folder was emptied, documents littered Clarke’s floor as she sat on the ground reading each and every one of them as Lexa sat cross-legged observing from the bed.

 

The Lieutenant put the now empty box of spaghetti on the floor near the foot of the bed as she heard Clarke sigh heavily.

 

“Is all of this for real?” Clarke asked as she ran her eyes over a document again “All of what Echo told you was serious?”

 

“Yeah” Lexa nodded

 

She had debated for a while whether she was going to tell Clarke or not but Clarke was right.

 

She had the right to know if she wanted to so Lexa sat her down and told her everything she knew.

 

“Well Cage is clearly the one who started the fire” Clarke said “Any reasonable person would know that”

 

“You would think so” Lexa nodded “But any investigation on him was stopped before there was any hard evidence”

 

“The hard evidence is that he has no alibi, his dad owns the warehouse and he clearly wanted to get back at you for being made Lieutenant”

 

“So you think he was trying to kill me?”

 

“No, I don’t think he was trying to kill you” Clarke replied flipping a page “I think he was trying to do something to make you look bad and things went too far, probably further than he thought when Gustus died”

 

“I just feel like Gustus’ death is on my hands now more than ever” Lexa said “If Cage did this, he obviously did this because of me”

 

“If he did this then your friends death isn’t on you, it’s completely on him” Clarke said firmly, turning to her girlfriend “Do you understand that?”

 

“I don’t know” Lexa shrugged “Does it make me horrible that I kind of wish Echo never showed me this?”

 

“No” Clarke replied with a sigh as she stood to get on the bed next to Lexa, kneeling next to the other girl “No that just makes you human”

 

“How do you figure that?”

 

“Because this is a massive burden. This is huge and I honestly don’t think there is any way you can go through this and come through unscathed” Clarke answered slowly, understanding the weight in her words “You either choose to uproot your world around you, probably earning you some powerful enemies or you have to live with the burden knowing of an innocent man in jail and a death, that should no way be on your shoulders” 

 

“What would you do?”

 

“If I were you?” Clarke asked

 

“If you were me” Lexa nodded

 

“Lexa you have a stronger will than I’ll ever have so I can’t really answer that question _for you_ but if you are one hundred percent, without a doubt convinced that Cage did this then I think you should do what you think is right” Clarke replied “And it is a lot to risk if you do go after Dante and Cage, so if you can’t convince yourself that you have enough here then no one would blame you”

 

“I know” Lexa said quietly “Thank you for talking about this with me, I needed it”

 

“I could see that” Clarke replied before she paused “I think the important thing to consider here is if you think you want to go ahead with this, do you have a realistic way of getting a confession? If that’s what Echo needs to actually convict Cage, you’re going to need to be very strategic about it”

 

“I know” Lexa repeated as she closed her eyes “I went past 34 on my way here and I stopped outside. I saw him leave”

 

“Lexa”

 

“I know, it was really stupid of me but I left before I did anything else” Lexa shook her head “He didn’t see me”

 

“I think everything has been a lot to take in and I really think you have a lot to consider” Clarke said “And I know you probably want to just rush in but that’s not the smartest thing to do. You need to decide what you want to do or what you think the best option is and once you make your choice we can go from there”

 

“I don’t really know whether I have a choice” Lexa mumbled

 

“There’s always a choice” Clarke said sadly “And I hate myself for suggesting it but there is always a choice”

 

“You’re only being reasonable” Lexa nodded “And I really appreciate you being so real with me about this”

 

“That’s what I’m here for” Clarke shrugged

 

“Not this early in the relationship” Lexa replied quickly “Everything’s supposed to be sunshine and first dates with chocolates, sleep overs and lots of kissing”

 

“But this is real” Clarke said reaching out to take Lexa’s hand, placing it at the top of her chest so Lexa could feel her heart beat “Yes it’s early but I think you and I know that this is real. There is actually lots of kissing though”

 

“It is real” Lexa said with a warm smile as she felt the strong thud of Clarke’s heart as it beat steadily

 

“And if this is what is happening at the start of the relationship then this is what is happening” Clarke replied with a shrug “I’m taking this journey every step of the way with you”

 

Lexa reached out to feel behind both of Clarke’s ears at the same time, furrowing her eyebrows

 

“What are you doing?” Clarke asked with a chuckle as she ducked her head away

 

“Who is feeding you these lines?” Lexa asked jokingly “They’re perfect”

 

“You’re weird” Clarke grinned face sobered quickly “But seriously, I’ll help you with whatever you need and support whatever decision you decide to make”

 

“Thank you” Lexa replied with a nod “That makes me feel a little better but I’m not going to implicate you in this in any way”

 

“You might have to”

 

“That’s not going to happen” Lexa shook her head 

\---

 

Lexa felt warm.

 

She felt heat radiating around her.

 

She heard the unmistakable roaring of a fire as well as the grinding and groaning sound of a building that was engulfed by the unforgiving flames.

 

She had to get down on her hands and knees so she could crawl to try and find her best way out of the room she was in.

 

“Clarke” Lexa called looking around her “Clarke?!”

 

“Who’s Clarke?” She heard a gruff voice ask as she was pulled up on her feet

 

“Gustus?” Lexa asked, her eyes widening under her mask

 

“Come on, we have to get out of here because this place is going to come down” He replied looking around “Do you know the exit point?”

 

“Yeah, it should just be around the corner” Lexa nodded as she turned to move, only to feel her body being pushed away harshly

 

The air was pulled from her lungs and her oxygen mask was dragged from her face as she heard a loud series of crashes.

 

Where she and Gustus had been standing was now a pile of scaffolding, cement and flames.

 

“Gustus!” Lexa yelled as she scrambled to her feet, securing her oxygen mask once more

 

She heard the faint sounds of the alarm on his suit, alerting her to a lack of movement from her squad member.

 

Lexa moved around the massive pile of rubble, trying to find a clear path to see if she could get to him, but she couldn’t.

 

Another collapse in the warehouse was imminent, this was an old building and Lexa didn’t know how it was still standing.

 

There wasn’t any way Gustus could have survived what happened and if she let the weight of the situation take hold of her now, she wouldn’t get out there alive.

 

Meaning that the sacrifice that Gustus had made for her would be in vain.

 

She cursed herself as she pushed through to the exit; the door was jammed so she used her axe to break the lock before pushing through.

 

A wave of cool air hit her and black smoke followed her as she collapsed on the ground outside the warehouse.

 

She felt herself being scooped up quickly; hearing Indra and a few of her squad mates telling her she would be fine.

 

She still felt the heat all around her; she felt the sting of the fresh air in her eyes as her mask was removed.

 

Her squad members put her down next to an ambulance, where she was given more oxygen to try and get her breathing under control.

 

She could only watch on as more of the building just collapsed.

 

She looked around her to see the Engine crew, working hard to put the fire out but she paused.

 

Sitting in a car across the road was unmistakably Cage Wallace.

 

Dante had purchased him a red Porche the day he had graduated from the academy and there weren’t too many of them around their area.

 

He just sat there watching, not making an effort to help or not to see if they needed to call back up.

 

He sat there, his hands on the steering wheel with a neutral expression on his face as he watched on.

 

At that point Lexa opened her eyes, looking up to the ceiling of Clarke’s bedroom.

 

She felt a bead of sweat drip down her forehead as she felt Clarke breathing deeply into the crook of her neck.

 

The heat was replaced by a chill that ran down her spine.

 

Cage Wallace was there, she remembered and that was not part of a made up dream.

 

She had remembered that Cage Wallace was sitting in the car watching as everything went down.

 

She had spent so long trying to forget that night and in the process she had forgotten that very important detail.

 

“You awake?” Clarke mumbled into Lexa’s neck, gripping her shirt tightly

 

“I am but you should be asleep” Lexa whispered as she moved her head to place a kiss on Clarke’s hair “I’m sorry”

 

“You okay?” She asked sleepily

 

“I had a dream” Lexa replied “But it was more like a memory”

 

“You’re really warm” Clarke nodded

 

“Cage Wallace was there, I remember seeing him sitting in his car” Lexa said “And he didn’t even move to help or anything”

 

Clarke paused for a moment before pushing herself up to look Lexa in the eyes

 

She furrowed her brows, wiping away a tiny bead of sweat that was forming above the Lieutenants eyebrow with her thumb.

 

“Are you sure you saw him?”

 

“Yes, I pushed that whole thing behind me because I didn’t want to remember” Lexa said shaking her head “And I forgot some of the details”

 

“So are you convinced he did it?”

 

“I think I already was” Lexa replied with a nod

 

“So what are you going to do?”

 

Without a doubt in Lexa’s mind now, she thought that Cage Wallace was guilty.

 

Why else wouldn’t a firefighter help a fellow Squad out?

 

He was in the area.

 

He was sitting there watching.

 

Cage had wanted Lexa to fail.

 

“I have to go after this” Lexa said as her stomach turned itself on its head and her heart rate increased “I can’t just let this go”

 

“Okay” Clarke nodded before she leaned in to kiss the Lieutenant gently “Do you think you should talk to the Chief?”

 

“I don’t know” Lexa replied “I mean Echo told me not to tell anyone so I’ve already broken that by telling you”

 

“Well I’m glad you trust me”

 

“Of course I trust you” Lexa said quickly “I trust you more than I trust most people”

 

“I know” Clarke said quietly “Get some sleep and we’ll talk about it in the morning when we have a clear mind”

 

\---

 

Lexa sat in her favourite booth, with her favourite breakfast in front of her and across from arguably her favourite person.

 

But her head was so full that she could barely identify the fact that she had even left Clarke’s apartment.

 

“How are you going to be able to work?” Clarke asked as she began to eat her breakfast

 

“I don’t know” Lexa said chuckling as she picked up her knife and fork “I guess I’m just going to have to put my gear on and separate myself”

 

“Can you do that?”

 

“Yes” Lexa said confidently “I kind of just have to. I just have all of this information and all of this stuff just sitting right in front of me but I don’t know what to do with it”

 

“Have you thought anymore about talking to Chief Jaha?” Clarke asked raising her eyebrows

 

“Yes but you heard our argument on Friday” Lexa replied

 

“Everyone did” Clarke said with a small smile

 

“He thinks that I’m being paranoid, that I think the world is against me” Lexa answered as she brought her coffee cup to her lips, feeling the hot liquid burn her slightly “I don’t think he’s going to take any of what I have to say seriously”

 

“The allegations you have are pretty serious” Clarke replied with a small nod “But the evidence you have to support it is also pretty damning”

 

“At the same time though, is he going to know what to do with it either?” Lexa asked “I know Cage was there, but everyone else knows that we don’t like each other”

 

“I think the Chief might have a better idea” Clarke replied “Echo said that you need a confession, right?”

 

“Because the investigation is closed and all the other evidence was thrown out” Lexa nodded

 

“Maybe he might have an idea how to get one” Clarke said with a sigh “We will figure this out”

 

“Lieutenant Wallace” Lexa heard a waitress greet happily as the bell on the door of the diner chimed “You here for breakfast?”

 

“Just coffee” He said with a grin

 

Lexa placed her head in her hands, sighing deeply

 

“He can’t see us from back here” Clarke shook her head as she reached over to take the brunette’s hands away from her face

 

“I know, I just want to go over there and throw him across the diner”

 

“Maybe not today” Clarke shook her head as she looked over her shoulder to see Cage talking to a staff member with a smirk

 

“If only they knew what I did” Lexa said “They’d hate him, not be eating from the palm of his hand”

 

“I know” Clarke said turning back to her girlfriend “They love him right now though”

 

“I need help” Lexa said shaking her head “If I am going to take on the Wallace family then I am going to need help, I can’t take on a Commissioner and a rich family by myself”

 

“I guess you’ll be talking to the Chief tomorrow then”

 

“Yeah, I guess so” Lexa nodded as she glared at Wallace, her hand still gripping the handle of the coffee cup tightly

 

“Maybe don’t break that and hurt yourself” Clarke said looking at Lexa’s knuckles turning white because of her strong grip

 

“Well I am dating a paramedic” Lexa said as her grip loosened

 

“Yeah but it’s my day off so I’m going to try and help as little as possible” Clarke joked, trying to earn a smile from the brunette

 

“You don’t have a selfish bone in your body” Lexa said shaking her head

 

“Everyone does” Clarke shook her head

 

“If someone asked you for the shirt off your back, you’d probably give it to them” Lexa continued before she paused “Can I have the shirt off your back?”

 

“Smooth” Clarke mocked shaking her head

 

“See, you make me so calm that in times of crisis I can still make a joke” Lexa said with a small smile “I don’t know what I did to deserve you Clarke Griffin”

 

“Well I mean, I think if Firehouse 34 would have attended my crash they probably would have tried to drag me from my car and I’d still be having surgery on my legs” Clarke replied before she smirked “So you know, I owed you something”

 

“Ouch” Lexa joked as she placed a hand over her heart, feigning hurt

 

“This whole thing might be a huge burden on you Lexa, but at least you know you can handle this”

 

“Can I?” Lexa asked honestly “I don’t know anything about playing political games or strategies”

 

“But you’re smart” Clarke said leaning forward “And you’re underestimated, which I think works out perfectly for you. They’re going to have no idea what hit them”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked it! I'm really going to try and update tomorrow at some stage but it may or may not take me a few days to get this next chapter done. I'll try and keep my roll going but we'll see how much I can get out of my brain! 
> 
> Happy almost friday!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy huge chapter everyone. 
> 
> It is late and I'm tired but I managed to get this monster of a chapter done and edited (Not so greatly so please forgive me) 
> 
> You guys are absolutely amazing and I'm glad you are still following the story! I'm having fun writing it :) 
> 
> I needed to make this a long one so I could set up a BIG chapter for my next update so please let me know what you think!

Everything felt different to Lexa as she walked into 56 at the start of the next shift.

 

Of course she knew it wasn’t going to feel the same, how could it?

 

She had never felt so disillusioned with the Fire Department than she did at that moment and she had Dante Wallace to blame for that.

 

Dante Wallace had let his son get away with literal murder and let someone else pay the price for it, even having the guts to promote his son to Lieutenant after that.

 

She paused at the plaque in the common room at the start of the shift, running her fingers over the engraving. 

 

“You okay, Lieutenant?” Octavia asked from the entrance of the common room

 

“I’m fine” Lexa nodded before looking to her squad member “How was your day off?”

 

“Good thank you” Octavia replied “You kind of rushed out of dinner the other night, we missed having you there”

 

“I’m sorry” Lexa said shaking her head

 

“Is everything okay?”

 

“Yeah, it was fine” Lexa replied with a small smile as she noted the piece of paper in Octavia’s hand “That for me?”

 

“I went to your office but you weren’t there” Octavia said taking a few steps towards Lexa and holding the paper out for her “You wanted this filled out”

 

She took the paper and chuckled to herself quietly seeing the relationship declaration for in her hands

 

“You wanted it filled out by today…so here you go” Octavia replied awkwardly “We are formalising our relationship in the eyes of the fire department” 

 

“I was kidding, Octavia” Lexa smiled looking back up to the younger girl “If I don’t have to formalise mine just yet then you shouldn’t have to either”

 

“Oh”

 

“I’ll hold onto it but I won’t lodge it” Lexa nodded “Thank you though”

 

“You sure you’re okay?”

 

“Fine” Lexa replied as her attention was focused over Octavia’s shoulder

 

“Okay” Octavia said skeptically before turning around to see Clarke behind her “I’ll leave you both to it”

 

“Hey” Lexa said with a warm smile as the blonde leaned against the doorway of the common room

 

“Hey there” Clarke replied, folding her arms

 

“I didn’t see you come in” Lexa began to walk towards the paramedic, just stopping a few inches from where she stood

 

“I haven’t been here long” Clarke shook her head “I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?”

 

“No, Octavia was just handing me her relationship declaration” Lexa smirked as she held the paper up for a moment

 

“She’s very efficient” Clarke replied with a smile

 

“Well she is on my squad”

 

“So I guess we’ll have to submit one of those at some stage” Clarke noted

 

“I’m not going to submit theirs until we have to submit ours” Lexa shook her head “It’s not fair”

 

“That’s very nice of you” Clarke responded “See, you’re not a robot”

 

“Maybe not” Lexa smiled “I missed you this morning”

 

“Well you wanted to go out for a run really early this morning” Clarke teased playfully cocking her eyebrow quickly “In the freezing cold”

 

“It clears my head” Lexa shrugged

 

“Are you going to talk to the Chief today?”

 

“I’m going to try to” Lexa replied

 

“Well let me know if I can help” Clarke said uncrossing her arms to let them fall by her side

 

“You are helping immensely” Lexa nodded as she reached her free hand to grab the front of Clarke’s shirt, pulling her gently those last few inches so that their bodies were flush “And I realize this is severely inappropriate”

 

“We haven’t filed paperwork” Clarke mocked with a grin as she nudged Lexa’s nose with her own gently before Lexa tilted her head down slightly to take Clarke’s lips in her own softly

 

“You have an office, you know” Raven chimed as she sat down at the common room table “Unlike the rest of us”

 

Lexa pulled away from Clarke with an embarrassed smile on her face, letting go of the material of Clarke’s shirt and turning to Raven who was eagerly awaiting a response

 

“I do know that” Lexa answered simply

 

“I’m like a proud parent though” Raven said reclining into her chair with a smug smile “I mean I did that”

 

“You did what?” Clarke asked

 

“Brought you two together” Raven nodded, putting her feet up on the table “Such a beautiful thing”

 

“I am going to go put this away and talk to the Chief” Lexa said turning to Clarke

 

“Okay” Clarke said giving her an understanding nod before walking past the Lieutenant, running her hand over the other girls waist for one final point of contact before they separated completely

 

“And get your shoes off my table” Lexa called behind her shoulder as she exited the common room

 

Lexa went back to her desk, the manila folder in her bottom right hand drawer was practically radiating in her mind.

 

She placed Octavia’s paperwork in her in-tray before opening up the drawer, staring down at the folder and wondering how a pile of documents could feel so heavy.

 

The Lieutenant picked the folder up from her drawer and stood from her chair.

 

It was now or never if she wanted to talk to Chief Jaha.

 

**_Firehouse 56 Rescue Squad 2, Ambulance 1 Urgent Water Rescue required at Rock Creek_ **

****

As fate would have it, Lexa’s talk with Chief Jaha would have to wait.

 

It would neither be now or never but it would be later.

 

She had a life to save and that had to be the most important thing in her mind.

 

She tucked the folder away, grabbing her jacket and helmet as she rushed out to the truck, grabbing her water gear and jumping in.

 

“It was kind of warm yesterday and today is freezing again” Octavia said as she closed the door to the truck “And a water rescue had to be today”

 

“How is Rock Creek a water rescue though?” Lexa asked

 

“I guess we’re about to find out Lieutenant” Indra nodded

 

It took them 3 minutes to get to Rock Creek, they weren’t the closest to that location but Lexa could only assume the closest Firehouse to that location were already on a call.

 

They pulled up to see two teenage boys, standing outside a row of trees that separated the road and creek.

 

It also looked like there were multiple bystanders who were waiting for the Fire Department to arrive.

 

Lexa bounded out of the truck very quickly and made her way to the bystanders.

 

“What happened?”

 

“The boys were trying to cross the creek when the rock shifted from under him and he slipped off into the water. His dad is in there trying to hold him up but the water is coming down really quickly now and his leg is stuck under the rock” A distraught woman said “You have to get in and help them”

 

“There’s a boy trapped in the creek and someone is holding him up in the water. We need a lever to shift that rock and I need a rope just in case we need to keep him steady. I’ll get in and hold him up while you all get that rock moved” Lexa said turning to her team before she looked to Raven and Clarke “You’re going to need a backboard and as many thermal blankets as you can get me. His leg is pinned under a heavy rock so it’s going to be at the very least broken”

 

Lexa grabbed an oxygen canister from the truck for the boy and they pushed through the trees to see the scene unfolding in front of them.

 

There was a boy with his leg trapped under a pretty sizeable rock right in the middle of the creek bed.

 

The Creek was filled with large stones, footing for people to try and cross the creek on without getting wet.

 

Unfortunately though because there was free flowing water and it was so cold, obviously they should have been far too slippery for a normal shoe to grip onto.

 

It was obvious for trained Lexa, anyway.

 

The boy was lying down on his back as a man held his head out of the rushing water but they were making no effort to move the rock.

 

She heard the man scream out to her and she nodded to him, unzipping her heavy jacket and pulling on her wetsuit top.

 

“You’re going to freeze” Clarke said as she grabbed Lexa’s arm, stopping her from moving

 

“This will keep me warm enough and I’m trained for this” Lexa nodded “Trust me”

 

“Lieutenant” Lincoln said as he approached the rocks

 

“We’re ready to go” Lexa nodded “The water is only waist deep, wade through if you get on the rocks and you think it’s unsafe”

 

“I’ll go first” Octavia replied as she stepped on the first rock steadily

 

“Where do you want us?” Raven asked

 

“I need you ready with the thermal blankets and the backboard” Lexa said “I might call you over to help but I want to avoid getting you in the water because you don’t have wet gear”

 

“Take a thermal blanket to wrap yourself up in once we leave” Clarke said as she held out one for her

 

“Thanks” Lexa nodded, dropping it on top of her jacket before she opted to wade through the water quickly to get to the man who was holding the teen up “Sir, I will take over. We’ll switch out and Indra will escort you back to the side where the paramedics will look after you”

 

“Get him out” He said simply

 

“We will sir” Lexa said as she expelled a sharp breath and held the boy up as the man moved.

 

She settled herself into the water, sitting him between her legs and supporting his back as she made sure his head was out of the water

 

She gave him the oxygen canister and he put it in his mouth so he could breathe without having freezing water in his lungs

 

Lexa felt everything burning, the water was almost immobilizing and she was wearing heat gear so she knew she had to get the boy out of there very soon before his core temperature became too low.

 

“Okay I’m going to pull down on the lever, Octavia you push the rock in the direction I’m doing and Lieutenant when you see the rock moved, pull him out” Lincoln yelled over the sound of the water

 

“Got it” Lexa nodded before he leaned into the boy “This is going to hurt okay, but we’ll get you free”

 

“Now” Lincoln called as he put all of his weight under the metal lever

 

Octavia pushed just like he had asked and the boy screamed, dropping the oxygen canister as Lexa pulled him backwards once she confirmed he was free.

 

She wasted no time; cradling him against her she began to rush back to the side where Clarke and Raven were waiting for her.

 

They put him on the backboard and hurried him to the ambulance where he was wrapped up in thermal blankets very quickly.

 

Lexa caught sight of his foot, it wasn’t pretty and he would definitely need surgery but the important thing was that he was out of the freezing water.

 

Raven closed the doors up as Clarke worked on the boy and took off as quick as she could towards the hospital.

 

Lexa wrapped herself up in the thermal blanket that Clarke gave her, shivering as she waited for her squad to come from the rocks safely.

 

Another ambulance arrived for the man who had been holding the boy up and as soon as they were gone, Rescue Squad 2 were cleared to leave.

 

As soon as Lexa got back to the station she discarded her wet clothing and took a warm shower, making sure not to increase her core temperature too quickly.

 

After a long shower, she returned to her office where she found Clarke on her bed, reading her book.

 

“Make yourself at home” Lexa smirked as she closed the door behind her, throwing her towel over her shoulder

 

“I just wanted to check on you” Clarke said as she sat up immediately “You would have been freezing”

 

“How’s the kid?” Lexa asked shrugging Clarke’s concern off

 

“We got his core temperature back up just in time” Clarke said “He went into shock but we brought him back down and his ankle is pretty shattered but he’ll be okay”

 

“Good” Lexa nodded “Great work”

 

“You too” Clarke nodded “Did you wrap yourself up straight away?”

 

“Yeah I did” Lexa replied as she sat down on her desk chair “I was just about to go speak to Chief Jaha when we got the call”

 

“So are you going to do that now?”

 

“No time like the present” Lexa nodded

 

“I’ll let you go then” Clarke replied as she stood from the bed, walking to Lexa and placing a gently kiss on her forehead “Put your jacket on and get your shoes back on please”

 

“I’m fine”

 

“I’m the paramedic here” Clarke replied as she backed away from Lexa, placing her hands in her pockets “Good luck”

 

“Thanks” Lexa nodded “I need it”

 

“No you don’t” Clarke shook her head before she disappeared from Lexa’s door

 

\---

 

Lexa knocked on the Chief’s closed door, he had been catching up on paperwork and had requested to be left alone but she couldn’t wait any longer.

 

“Come in” He called

 

She steeled herself with a small nod and she opened the door, closing it immediately behind her as the folder burned in her hand.

 

“Lieutenant” He said with a nod “I take it you need to speak to me?”

 

“I do sir” Lexa nodded as she sat down across from his desk before she paused, running herself through what she was going to say

 

“And what do you need to speak to me about?”

 

“Well first of all I wanted to apologize about last shift” Lexa said “I shouldn’t have come in and talked to you like I did and I know you are on my side here when it comes to my review”

 

“Lieutenant, I’m on your side all the time” The Chief replied “Whether you choose to believe that or not is up to you”

 

“Well I am really glad to hear that considering what I’m about to tell you” Lexa said as she put the folder on the desk and opening it to the first document “Because this could be hard to believe but I think once I tell you all the facts I have, it’s not so farfetched”

 

“What exactly are you talking about?”

 

Lexa told Chief Jaha everything she knew and everything she had pieced together.

 

He didn’t say anything for a while; he hardly even looked at the documentation that Lexa presented which made her nervous to say the least.

 

It also made her a little angry; she didn’t understand why he didn’t seem to be showing any interest in what she was telling him.

 

After Lexa finished explaining that she remembered Cage being on the scene, Chief Jaha sat with his elbows leaning on his desk, his left hand curled into a fist and his right hand covering that fist.

 

He watched Lexa for a moment as she stared right back at him.

 

“Why did you come in here and tell me this?” The Chief asked

 

“Well firstly I thought you might be interested to know just what exactly happened to a member of your squad” Lexa growled before she closed her eyes quickly, internally trying to cool herself down “But I’ll admit, I have a lot of information here but I’m clueless as to what to do with it”

 

“And you thought I could help you?” The Chief asked raising his eyebrows

 

“I thought so but maybe I was wrong” Lexa replied as she stood quickly

 

“Sit down Lieutenant” Chief Jaha said shaking his head “I’m not too sure whether you have actually considered the weight of what you have here”

 

“It’s all I have considered” Lexa replied as she sat down once more “That’s why I need help”

 

“I can’t help you on this one” The Chief shook his head once more “This is over my head as well”

 

“Great” Lexa groaned

 

“But I know someone who will be able to help” Chief Jaha said quietly

 

“You do?”

 

“Yes” Chief Jaha sighed “I need to warn you though Lexa, this is going to implicate everyone in any fire department throughout the whole state. That includes everyone here in 56 too”

 

“I know that sir but Cage Wallace has gotten away with murder because his corrupt father was friends with a corrupt Police Chief” Lexa protested

 

“What I’m saying to you is that if you choose to follow this avenue, the person you are risking the most is yourself. Cage Wallace does deserve to pay for Gustus’ death and so does Commissioner Dante Wallace for the part he played but if this backfires on you…you’re risking not only your career but you could face jail time” The Chief said, deliberately picking his words “Lieutenant there is no good choice here, either way you turn will be messy but distinctly there is an easy way or there is a hard way”

 

“I don’t think it’s that clear cut” Lexa replied “Do you think I could live with the guilt of knowing what happened and not doing anything about it? Gustus sacrificed himself for me”

 

“Which is why I know this is difficult for you but you didn’t let me finish” The Chief noted “You get to choose your own path here, Lexa. No matter what I say or what anyone else says to you, the decision is ultimately up to you. While I recommend you thinking about this further, if you believe you can get enough proof for these allegations to stand then I think I know someone who can help you”  

 

“Who?”

 

“Commissioner Marcus Kane”

 

“Why would someone on the same Commission as Wallace want to help me?” Lexa asked

 

“As you know, Kane was Chief here in 56 before I was so he knew Gustus” The Chief replied “But I also think you underestimate the politics coming into play on this”

 

“This isn’t political to me” Lexa replied

 

“I know it isn’t to you” Chief Jaha shrugged “But I think if you are going to try and do this, you need someone with a profile like Marcus Kane to help you out and I definitely think he would be willing to listen to you”

 

“So what, I should just contact his office?” Lexa asked furrowing her eyebrows

 

“I know Marcus quite well; let me get in contact with him first”

 

“Can I just consider this until the end of shift?”

 

“Let me know” The Chief nodded

 

“Do you honestly think he would help me?”

 

“I do” Chief Jaha nodded once more “I wouldn’t say so if I didn’t think he would. Remember how I said I’m on your side here?”

 

\---

 

Lexa sat outside in the garage, her heavy jacket on to keep her from freezing and her Firehouse 56 beanie covering her head as she looked out to the quiet street.

 

“So I totally don’t believe you are okay” Octavia said as she sat down next to Lexa, handing her a steaming bowl of soup and a spoon “You must be freezing out here”

 

“Then why are you sitting out here too?” Lexa asked looking down at the warm bowl “Thank you”

 

“Because something’s bothering you” Octavia replied as she pulled the hood of her jacket over her head “And plus Clarke told me you were out here”

 

“I just wanted to come out here for a minute and think”

 

“I know that I joke a lot but you can talk to me if you need to” Octavia replied honestly as she nudged her Lieutenant carefully “We’re pretty much family”

 

“I know” Lexa said with a sigh “You’re a great squad member, Blake”

 

“Thank you” Octavia nodded

 

“Have you ever felt just completely out of your depth?” Lexa asked after they sat looking out at the street for a moment “To the point where you just have no idea what to do next?”

 

“All the time” Octavia chuckled

 

“So how do you push through?”

 

“Well usually you’re the one doing the pushing” Octavia shrugged as she frowned looking to her Lieutenant “I’m going to be all lame here but I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you pushing me to be what I am today. Whatever you think you are out of your depth in, I think you’re wrong”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I’ve never seen you give up once” Octavia replied “Yeah sure, maybe we have failed a few times and made mistakes but I’ve never seen you give up. I’ve practically seen you break down a door with your own bare hands because you refused to give up. Whatever you are feeling out of your depth about isn’t going to stop you”

 

“Octavia Blake” Lexa grinned

 

“Unless you are running some kind of drug ring or something” Octavia said as she stood from next to her Lieutenant “Then I think you could be out of your depth”

 

“There she is” Lexa laughed quietly as she felt Octavia tap her on the head gently before making her way back into the house

 

“Raven’s right you know, you do have an office to ponder in rather than sitting outside in the freezing” Lexa heard 20 minutes later as she felt a blanket being wrapped around her shoulders before Clarke sat down next her, leaning her head on the Lieutenant’s shoulder “Octavia told me you’ve been out here for a while”

 

“I’m just thinking”

 

“Did you speak to Chief Jaha?” Clarke asked

 

“I did” Lexa nodded “And he doesn’t think he can help me but he thinks he knows someone who could”

 

“Who?” Clarke asked shifting her head from Lexa’s shoulder so she could look to the other girl

 

“Marcus Kane”

 

“You mean Commissioner Marcus Kane?” Clarke asked raising her eyebrows

 

“The very same guy” Lexa nodded

 

“Why would he tell you that a fellow Commissioner would help?”

 

“Well Kane was Chief here before Jaha but also apparently there is something going on there where Kane wants to get rid of Wallace” Lexa said shaking her head “Or something, I don’t know. I don’t completely grasp the situation here but if I went on facts, it would be suicide”

 

“What are you going to do?”

 

“Flip a coin” Lexa replied dryly “That’s my best and most reasonable thought so far”

 

“Okay well I know that isn’t serious but what is your gut telling you?” Clarke asked “What is your intuition saying?”

 

“That I am in way over my head” Lexa admitted “This is terrifying Clarke. I could be walking straight into the lions den going to Marcus Kane’s office”

 

“You could be” Clarke nodded “Or he could actually be willing to help”

 

“What the Chief told me was right though” Lexa said “I could be implicating everyone in this firehouse by going forward with this. If I fail and Commissioner Kane sets me up, I could go to jail and you all could lose your jobs”

 

“You’re right and that’s definitely something to consider but it could also go the other way” Clarke replied “I honestly think that you are going to need help doing this and a Commissioner would be perfect”

 

“I don’t know whether I can trust him though”

 

“Do you trust the Chief?”

 

“Yes” Lexa answered simply

 

“I don’t think he would do anything to set you up to fail” Clarke replied honestly

 

“I just feel like if I go to Marcus Kane, that I’m selling my soul” Lexa shook her head

 

“You haven’t even talked to him yet, Lexa” Clarke answered “You aren’t selling your soul in any way. I know this is a lot but honestly, I think that maybe you need to let someone else help you for once instead of trying to carry this yourself”

 

“I’m sure someone is feeding you lines” Lexa grumbled “I don’t trust people, I don’t really know how to”

 

“You trusted me” Clarke said simply “And you trust everyone in here”

 

“Because we risk our lives together every day” Lexa replied “And you kind of just disarmed me when I wasn’t expecting it”

 

“Either way” Clarke shrugged “Dante Wallace clearly has friends in high places and you might not want to have to play this game but if you don’t have someone with the same friends, whatever you present to Echo will just be discarded by her superiors”

 

“I need to speak to Officer Echo” Lexa said as she sat up straight “I haven’t even considered her in this”

 

“Probably a good idea” Clarke nodded “I’m going to go inside because I’m freezing and you should come in too”

 

“I will” Lexa replied “I’m just going to call Echo”

 

“Okay” Clarke said before she kissed Lexa’s cheek quickly

 

\---

 

Lexa called Officer Echo immediately who was in the area so she decided she would come to the Firehouse, but they could only talk in her car and it could only be for a few minutes.

 

“Hi” Lexa said as she got into the passenger seat of the police vehicle “So I talked to the Chief about the case”

 

“You talked to your Chief?” Echo asked as her eyes went wide “Lexa, you can’t just tell anyone about this”

 

“He isn’t anyone, he is my Chief” Lexa defended “I wouldn’t tell him anything if I didn’t trust him”

 

“Do you know for sure you can trust him?” Echo asked

 

“I believe I can” Lexa nodded

 

“Okay” Echo sighed deeply

 

“He thinks I need to go higher up the chain and ask Commissioner Marcus Kane for help”

 

“Did something hit your head really hard when you went out on a call this shift?” Echo asked with an incredulous tone “Do you hear yourself talking here? The guy you want to ask is on the _Commission._ The same Commission that Dante Wallace has been on for 7 years”

 

“I know” Lexa said shutting her eyes tightly “I know it sounds stupid”

 

“It does” Echo nodded “So you know that?”

 

“But why would Chief Jaha give me his name if he thought that it would be pointless?” Lexa asked

 

“Too much smoke inhalation?” Echo asked “These Commission members are really close”

 

“Maybe they aren’t though” Lexa replied “I don’t have the power to take down both Dante and Cage by myself. I’m just a Lieutenant in a firehouse, he is on the Commission,. Their family is worth millions and I only have my apartment plus a car. If Marcus Kane can help me, I need it”

 

“Lexa he could turn you in straight away” Echo said shaking her head “How is he going to help you get a confession?”

 

“That part I can manage but who is to say that once I get it, Wallace’s old pals in the Police Department won’t just throw that out and then charge me for something?” Lexa asked

 

“You don’t even know if this guy would help you”

 

“No I don’t know that yet but that’s why I need to find out” Lexa argued “He used to be Chief here”

 

“And Gustus used to be on the squad but now he’s dead because of Cage” Echo said “If you go down for this then so does the whole case”

 

“I have to try something” Lexa protested heatedly

 

“Then I hope you know what you are doing” Echo said with a resigned sigh

 

“No I have no idea” Lexa said honestly as she got out of the car, closing the door loudly before jogging back to the firehouse and straight to the Chief’s office

 

“Lieutenant” He nodded as she arrived at his door

 

“Can you please have Marcus Kane contact me?” Lexa asked

 

“Are you sure you want to go ahead with that?”

 

“I’m too far in this now” Lexa replied with a nod “I need his help”

 

“I’ll let him know what’s going on”

 

Lexa left his office without another word, walking into her own and closing the door.

 

She rested her forehead against the wooden door and looked down at her shaking hands.

 

She wasn’t used to the position she was in.

 

She wasn’t used to relying on someone else or trusting someone else to help her in a situation that she really couldn’t control.

 

Lexa didn’t know whether she could come back from the point she had reached but some things were worth fighting for.

 

Gustus saved her life in that fire and if he hadn’t, she knew he would be doing the exact same thing for her.

 

Of course she knew he would be calling her stupid for taking such a risk but she had a chink in her armour that not many people knew about.

 

And that was just how much she cared about and the lengths she would go to in order to protect the people around her.  

 

\---

 

Lexa felt extremely dizzy.

 

Her body felt heavy, any movement causing her skin to burn.

 

Her senses were heightened and her nerve endings felt as if they were tingling throughout her entire body.

 

It wasn’t a surprise to her though, that’s just what happened when she was kissing Clarke.

 

Lexa had the paramedic’s body pinned under her own on Clarke’s bed in what started out as a simple kiss.

 

Lexa had moved on top of Clarke to get her attention in a conversation they were having and something in the paramedic’s eyes just made Lexa pretty much attack her.

 

She couldn’t explain it and if she tried she would most certainly fail.

 

The heated exchange between the pair continued as Lexa bit down on Clarke’s bottom lip gently, soothing the slight ache with a softer kiss that followed.

 

Her right hand slipped under Clarke’s shirt, feeling the burning skin of her waist underneath her own fingertips.

 

They both had a lot on their minds but that night but all Lexa wanted to do was be close to Clarke like it was the only thing in the world that mattered to her.

 

She had never felt anything so intense in her life, she had never felt the absolute need to be with someone like she did with Clarke and she knew the other girl thought the same.

 

This kiss wasn’t slow, it wasn’t gentle; it was passionate and it was the only way Lexa could convey just how she was feeling about the girl below her.

 

Lexa felt a vibration in her back pocket as her phone began to ring, the loud noise filling the otherwise quiet room.

 

“You getting that?” Clarke mumbled against Lexa’s lips as she tried to create some distance between herself and the other girl

 

“I need to start learning to turn my phone off when I’m with you” Lexa replied, rolling off Clarke quickly and reaching for her phone “Hello?”

 

“Hi Lieutenant, my name is Maya and I work for Commissioner Marcus Kane”

 

“Oh…hi” Lexa said looking to Clarke and mouthing ‘Marcus Kane’

 

“Sorry to disturb you on a Sunday night but Commissioner Kane received a call from Chief Jaha and would like to set up a meeting with you at your earliest convenience” Maya said “Does tomorrow morning work for you?”

 

“Tomorrow morning?” Lexa asked as she tried to remember what shift she was working tomorrow, she felt completely flustered between Clarke and receiving that call “Uh yeah, I’m free tomorrow morning”

 

“Great, how does 8:30 sound for you?”

 

“Perfect, yeah that’s great” Lexa said swallowing thickly

 

“Great so we will see you then” Maya replied politely “Do you know where Commissioner Kane’s office is located?”

 

“I do” Lexa nodded

 

“Excellent so we will see you tomorrow morning at 8:30” Maya said cheerfully “Have a great night”

 

“Thanks, you too” Lexa said before she turned to Clarke with a confused look on her face

 

“What’s wrong?” Clarke asked

 

“Nothing, I can’t believe he actually called” Lexa said before pausing “Well actually his assistant called but he seems to want to meet with me quickly”

 

“Which is a great thing” Clarke nodded

 

“I hope so” Lexa said “This whole thing is just getting very real, very quickly”

 

“How so?” Clarke asked as she rolled to her side to face the other girl

 

“Well I’ve had this information for a few days now and I haven’t been able to do anything with it because I didn’t know where to go” Lexa replied as she nodded “And now I do”

 

“I just hope he can help you out”

 

“Me too” Lexa agreed with a sigh

 

“Do you want me to come with?” Clarke asked

 

“No” Lexa answered as soon as the words left Clarke’s mouth “I don’t want you implicated in this”

 

“I already am”

 

“No, this isn’t going to touch you” Lexa shook her head quickly

 

“It might though” Clarke shrugged “If this all gets out then this is going to mean something to us all”

 

“I don’t care what I have to do” Lexa said firmly “This isn’t going to touch you or anyone in 56”

 

\---

 

The Liuetenant sat nervously in the reception area of Commissioner Kane’s office; she was the only one in there besides her assistant Maya who greeted Lexa was a smile.

 

A soft music played through the room and a silent TV flickered on the wall but Lexa was far too interested in staring at her shoes to look at much else.

 

She didn’t usually get nervous, she was very good at controlling her thoughts and feelings but she had to sit on her hands to stop them from evidently shaking.

 

Lexa had a stoic personality, that was just who she was and it worked for her.

 

Until recently, she was unable to open up about what she felt and even then it was a struggle for her because she preferred to just deal with it internally.

 

If Marcus Kane didn’t have her best interest at heart, if he didn’t have the best interest of the information she had at heart then she was going to have to get herself out of a very messy situation.

 

She had done some research last night before coming in while Clarke slept and she found out a few things about Commissioner Kane that she had armed herself with should she need an out.

 

It was probably a lost cause but she needed some kind of defense mechanism.

 

She didn’t want him to see her blink if things were turned around on her so she put up that wall.

 

She built that wall back up that she had temporarily taken down and Lieutenant Lexa was there for business and business only.

 

Lexa glanced up to Maya at the reception desk who was looking towards her, a small smile on her face.

 

“You must be pretty important if Marcus is clearing a meeting for you” Maya said

 

“I’m not” Lexa said simply as she shook her head

 

“You are, I can tell” Maya replied with a shrug “I know you’re a Lieutenant”

 

“Your boss is a Commissioner though” Lexa answered

 

“Who has cleared his whole morning for you” Maya responded with a shrug “So you have to mean something to him”

 

“Lieutenant Lexa”

 

Lexa’s eyes shot to the now open door of the Commissioner’s office where she saw Marcus Kane standing with a broad grin on his face, his perfect teeth practically causing a glare inside the room.

 

“Commissioner” Lexa said as she stood from her chair

 

“Come on in” Marcus nodded as he gestured for Lexa to come inside

 

She gave a nod before walking towards the office, shaking his hand before she entered and then taking a seat across from his desk.

 

His office was the biggest office space Lexa had ever seen; it was bigger than her bedroom with a much better view as well.

 

“Can I offer you anything before we begin?” He asked as he sat down “Coffee? Water?”

 

“No thank you” Lexa said with a slight shake of her head

 

“I have been hearing some good things about you, Lieutenant” Commissioner Kane said with a smile “You run a tight ship”

 

“Thank you” Lexa nodded

 

“Which was why I was surprised when Chief Jaha gave me a call about you yesterday afternoon” Marcus began as his smile faded and Lexa could hear her heart beat through her ears “He told me what you told him, about Dante Wallace”

 

Lexa thought right then and there the police were going to burst through the door and arrest her for conspiracy.

 

She kept her breathing under control as she watched Commissioner Kane look at her with a blank expression, trying to read Lexa.

 

She was done.

 

Game over.

 

“You are so much like your father” Commissioner Kane said as the smile returned to his face “So much that it’s actually a little scary”

 

“You knew my father?”

 

“Everyone did” Marcus nodded “He was a great man and someone that I always had fantastic conversations with. He would be very proud of what you have become, Lieutenant”

 

Or maybe the game wasn’t finished just yet.

 

“Thank you sir” Lexa replied “But I’m a little confused”

 

“I want to help you” Marcus said quickly “You know that I was Chief at 56 before Thelonious and he worked under me for a good few years so I trust him”

 

“Okay”

 

“And he has nothing but praise for you, more importantly he trusts you” Marcus replied “He told me what you informed him of and I wasn’t surprised”

 

“Wait, you weren’t?” Lexa asked leaning slightly forward in her chair

 

“A part of me always knew that Dante Wallace had a part to play in that investigation” Marcus nodded “As you obviously know, Gustus was a part of my squad when I was Chief at 56 so when there was a formal investigation opened about his death I naturally kept a very close eye on it”

 

“Okay” Lexa nodded as she tried to process what she was hearing

 

“Gustus was a great man and he deserved better than what happened to him”

 

“He died because he pushed me out of the way” Lexa said furrowing her eyebrows “He saved my life”

 

“That was admirable, I’m not saying anything about how he actually passed” Marcus said shaking his head “What was a waste though was that someone deliberately started the fire knowing that your squad would have to go and check inside because of squatters. I loved Gustus just as much as everyone else he knew so I kept an eye on the investigation as it went”

 

“And what did you find?” Lexa asked

 

“I figured out very quickly that something was off because I saw the initial list of suspects” Marcus replied with a sigh “And I saw Cage Wallace on there but the next time I saw the suspect list, he was gone. It also didn’t really look great when Dante Wallace was seen taking the Police Chief out to dinner 4 times in one week”

 

“So if you knew all of this, why didn’t you say anything?” Lexa asked

 

“What was there to say?” Marcus asked “The case was closed very quickly and Dante was at the peak of his influence on the Commission”

 

“What was there to say? I’m sure there was something you could have said or done” Lexa shook her head

 

“Believe me, there wasn’t” Marcus replied

 

“So if you think that, why are you helping me now if you have nothing to say back then?” Lexa asked

 

“My intentions are not entirely one dimensional here” Marcus admitted as he reclined back in his chair “Dante Wallace has become a huge problem for me on the Commission. He his blocking a lot of moves that I want made, improvements that could be passed along to the firehouses all because he doesn’t agree with them. He’s chair of the Commission, if you can prove all of this he will obviously be removed”

 

“So you want to use me?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrows

 

“No I want to form a partnership” Marcus said “We both want him gone. I want justice for Gustus but that is not my only motive. The 3 other members of the Commission won’t vote against him leaving myself and the two others I have on my side outnumbered”

 

“What is Dante Wallace blocking?”

 

“Well among a lot of things he won’t approve additional support and financial aid for those who have lost family members in the line of duty” Marcus said “So Gustus’ wife…your mother would all receive a cut in the support they receive”

 

“You don’t need to mention my mother” Lexa said calmly

 

“You and I both want the same thing Lexa” The Commissioner said “Let me help you take Dante Wallace down so we can both get what we want. Have you ever heard of the saying the enemy of my enemy is my friend?”

 

“Of course I have” Lexa nodded “But somehow I feel like I’m selling my soul”

 

“Why?” Marcus asked “You aren’t compromising anything, you are only going to improve your work environment and the environments of your fellow Firefighters”

 

“So why does this feel like a sales pitch?” Lexa asked narrowing her eyes

 

“Because I am trying to sell myself to you. Dante Wallace has a lot of powerful friends Lieutenant. I respect everything you do and I know you do one hell of a job but you don’t have that kind of power. I do though” Marcus replied “I have been watching Dante for a long time, waiting for him to make a wrong move and with this information you have…all we need is a confession from him and we can put him and his ungrateful son away for what they did to Gustus”

 

Lexa sighed shakily, closing her eyes tightly for a moment as she considered what exactly she was going to do

 

“If you go down this path alone and try to do this yourself then you aren’t nearly as smart as I thought you were and he’ll have you in jail within a day” Marcus said “I also know what this is going to cause a chain reaction of investigations throughout the whole Fire Department, which I can shield you from”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“You know as well as I do that this is going to rock the Fire and Police Departments in DC and those who are involved for it are going to want someone to be angry at about it. All I want you to do is get me a confession and I will deal with all of that so you can return to what you do best and that is saving lives” Marcus said as he stood from his chair

 

“Why would you do that?” Lexa asked “How can I know that you’re just not going to throw me under the bus as soon as it’s done?”

 

“Because I like you Lieutenant, you have guts. You have my word that the backlash will not touch you or anyone you care about because there won’t be any for you” Marcus nodded “I’ll break the story, release all of the information and have Dante hung out to try. People will be so distracted by the time I am done destroying him that they won’t care who found this out or how, they will just care about the injustice this has caused. I have a lot of powerful friends in the media, Lexa. That’s something that money can’t buy”

 

“And I can trust your word?”

 

“Your father did” Marcus said looking Lexa directly in the eyes

 

It struck Lexa for a moment.

 

He didn’t say that to get a rise from her nor did she think he was saying it because he knew she wanted to hear it.

 

He was saying it because he meant it.

 

“You bring me a confession and I will handle the rest. Then I can get rid of Wallace and start bringing every Firehouse to 56 standard” Marcus replied as he held his hand out in front of him “Do we have a deal?”

 

The lump in the back of Lexa’s throat had never felt so large.

 

She knew she couldn’t do it alone, she also knew that Marcus Kane had the tools to get it done.

 

But she still couldn’t help but feel like she was making a deal with the devil.

 

She could have been wrong, she knew he was doing it for his own ambition but she couldn’t tell whether he was also doing it for the greater good.

 

Then Lexa thought about her family in Firehouse 56.

 

She thought about Clarke.

 

If she did the dirty work for Commissioner Kane and got a confession, Clarke wouldn’t be touched by any of the backlash.

 

She could keep her promise to the girl she was quickly and heavily falling for.

 

“A confession of everything and you’ll handle the rest?” Lexa asked staring at his still extended hand in front of her

 

“I will have Dante Wallace and every corrupt member of this Fire Department destroyed. It will take down a few people and it will make us look bad for a while but we need a fresh start and new ideas in order for you guys to get what you deserve” Marcus replied with a nod “You have my word”

 

Lexa sighed deeply as she stood in place.

 

After one more look at his hand, she extended her own to grip his tightly and shake it firmly.

 

Maybe she had just sold her soul.

 

Maybe she had just done a deal with the devil.

 

Marcus Kane seemed like a reasonable man and Chief Jaha trusted him so it had to mean something.

 

But ambition could make men say anything.

 

She knew though that they did have a common enemy and now she didn’t feel so lost.

 

So if she had sold her soul, she could forgive herself for that because she knew it was for the greater good.

 

But it also meant that the ones who meant the most to her would be protected.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that wasn't too many words for everyone.
> 
> Lexa is about to make a power play! 
> 
> And I promise to actually give Lexa and Clarke an actual first date at some point too! :P
> 
> Ive got soccer tomorrow so I probably won't get an update out but I will definitely have one Sunday


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Hope you have had an awesome weekend. 
> 
> Long post again, apparently I can't help myself.
> 
> I stayed up way too late trying to get this done before i went to sleep so I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Let me know what you think and as always, thank you for the love! I always get a huge smile whenever I read your comments and they make my day :)

“This is a good day, Lieutenant” Commissioner Kane said with a smile as he released Lexa’s hand from his grip

 

She felt her heartbeat pulsate through the hand that the Commissioner had just dropped from the handshake.

 

Swallowing thickly, she nodded as she tried to keep herself in check, as the situation that she was going to confront Dante Wallace became reality.

 

“So what now?” Lexa asked

 

“We have a Commission meeting on Wednesday” Commissioner Kane replied with a nod “I’m going to have Maya schedule a meeting with myself and the Commissioner an hour before our meeting but I’m not going to be there. You are”

 

“He’ll leave straight away”

 

“Then don’t let him leave” Marcus said “It’s your job to get him to admit that Cage was the one to start that fire and that he was the one who took his son’s name from the investigation. We have both audio and visual recording capabilities within that conference room, which I’ll make sure are set up”

 

“So I get him to admit everything, then what?” Lexa asked

 

“Leave that to me but make sure you have your officer friend outside so she can make the arrest” Marcus replied “The Police Chief is due here for the Commission meeting anyway so I’ll have him with me to hear the confession and I will handle the media from there. You will not be named, unless you say so yourself no one will ever know that you were in there with Dante”

 

“Well I’m on shift Wednesday morning”

 

“You aren’t now, I’ll contact Chief Jaha” Marcus said shaking his head “Be here at 9am, I’ll schedule the meeting for then”

 

“Okay” Lexa said with a nod

 

“I have to set some plans in motion but you came to the right person” Marcus replied with a small smile “He’s going to pay for this and we’re both going to get what we want”

 

“I’ll see you Wednesday”

 

The Lieutenant was still shaking like a leaf as she left Commissioner Kane’s office.

 

She glanced to Maya who gave her a smile as she walked out but she could only pay attention to just how much her stomach was churning.

 

When Lexa got back to her car she pulled her phone from her pocket, steadying her hand so she wouldn’t drop it.

 

Lexa wasn’t expecting to go meet Marcus Kane, have him support what she was trying to do and take responsibility for the fall out.

 

It almost seemed too good to be true.

 

And that’s what concerned Lexa.

 

When something seemed too good to be true, it usually was.

 

She had to trust him though because she didn’t have any other choice.

 

“You’re out of your meeting?” Lexa heard Clarke’s voice on the other side of the phone after she had dialed her girlfriend’s number straight away

 

“I just got out” Lexa replied “Are you still at your apartment?”

 

“Yeah, are you coming back?”

 

“I’ll tell you everything when I get there” Lexa answered as she unlocked her car

 

“You okay?” Clarke asked after a short pause

 

“Well I wasn’t arrested so that was a good start” Lexa responded “I’ll see you soon”

 

\---

 

Lexa knocked on Clarke’s apartment door quietly, which opened extremely quickly and loudly.

 

“Lieutenant” Raven said raising her eyebrows “I thought you were in Clarke’s room”

 

“No, I’ve been out this morning”

 

“Did you climb out the window and then sneak back in to make it look like you didn’t sleep over?” Raven asked with a smirk

 

“You live on the 15th floor” Lexa replied dryly “That’s not possible”

 

“Anyway, your girlfriend is in the shower but you can come in” Raven said stepping aside so Lexa could enter the apartment “You’re in your uniform already?”

 

“Yeah, I had a rotation meeting this morning” Lexa said, cringing at the lie she just had to tell one of her officers “Everything’s fine”

 

“Octavia was right, you have been a little off lately” Raven replied skeptically

 

“It isn’t anyone’s concern how I am” Lexa shook her head “I’m fine”

 

“Sorry, I just really needed to have a shower” Clarke said as she hurried from the bathroom with a towel around her shoulders to prevent her wet hair soaking her shirt

 

“Well I’m going to go sing loudly in the shower and avoid hearing what you guys obviously need to talk about” Raven said rolling her eyes as she made her way to her room

 

“Come on” Clarke said grabbing Lexa’s hand and pulling the Lieutenant to her room before closing the door behind her “So?”

 

Lexa ran Clarke through pretty much the whole conversation that was had between the two of them.

 

She didn’t want to tell Clarke all of it at first, she figured that it would be better for the paramedic to know as little as possible should anything backfire.

 

But she looked at Clarke, she felt the supportive hand on her knee as she spoke and couldn’t help it.

 

She needed Clarke’s opinion because she trusted her.

 

Lexa didn’t really understand just how Clarke managed to get her to bring her own guard down.

 

“I mean it seems you’re both getting something out of it” Clarke replied thoughtfully before she sighed “But I can understand why you’re apprehensive”

 

“It just seems a little too good to be true and when something seems like that, it usually is”

 

“No you’re right” Clarke replied with a nod “But at the same time, he seems to be going to a lot of effort just to double cross you. He’s completely right though, he has the tools that you just don’t have access too”

 

“I know” Lexa said rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly “Dante and Cage both need to pay for this and I would love to be able to do this myself but I’m just not willing to have other people implicated in his”

 

“Lexa you know that if the rest of the house were aware of this, they would want you to go for it regardless”

 

“Yeah but I’m not willing to do that” Lexa said quickly “This seems like the safest and surest way to do things so I guess I’m just going to have to hope that Marcus Kane is a man of his word”

 

“You’re making the smartest move” Clarke nodded “And Wednesday you’re going to bring Dante and Cage to justice”

 

“I hope so” Lexa nodded “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified”

 

“It’s probably more normal if you are” Clarke said with a small smile

 

“I’m just scared that this will backfire on me or I get thrown under the bus and someone like you is going to pay for my mistake” Lexa replied honestly

 

“Lexa this guy knew Gustus, he was Chief at 56 and Chief Jaha personally got in contact with him for you” Clarke answered quickly “I think you just need to try and put your effort into making this work. Let me worry about myself, okay?”

 

“You’re right” Lexa mumbled “Again”

 

“Did you just say that I’m right again?” Clarke asked as she playfully nudged the brunette in the ribs softly

 

“Maybe for the second time” Lexa replied brushing her off “I want to take you out on Wednesday night, after everything”

 

“Do you think you’ll be up for that?”

 

“Well even though I definitely think we are way past our first date, I still haven’t been able to take you out” Lexa shrugged “And at the risk of sounding so terribly cliché; I just need something to get me through Wednesday. Something that’s going to make me think it’ll be okay by the end of the day”

 

“That was pretty cliché” Clarke teased before nodded “But I would love to go out with you on Wednesday night”

 

“And I really like Raven, she’s fantastic…”

 

“I’ll make sure she doesn’t crash our date this time” Clarke laughed

 

“But we did have excellent waffles that night” Lexa shrugged as she watched Clarke laugh and she felt a little weight fall from her shoulders, at least for that moment

 

\---

 

Wednesday.

 

It had come around sooner than Lexa would have liked.

 

She wanted more time to prepare herself, she needed more time to try and figure out what exactly she was going do when she found herself face to face with Dante Wallace in that meeting room.

 

The Chief excused Lexa from their Wednesday morning shift; telling the rest of Firehouse 56 that she would be on a daylong training program.

 

Maya had called Lexa the previous day to confirm their meeting in her professional manner, like it was just a regular appointment.

 

Lexa had questioned though whether Maya actually knew what was going on or whether Marcus Kane was just giving his employee another job to do.

 

Other than herself the only people who actually knew actually what was going on were the Chief, Marcus, Echo and Clarke.

 

She had informed Echo about what the plan was and although Echo didn’t agree with trusting a Commissioner, she would be there to make an arrest if necessary.

 

So the plans were all laid, there was nothing else that Lexa could possibly do besides go in the meeting room and confront Dante Wallace.

 

Which was something she had been thinking about ever since Echo called her that Sunday night to tell her about the evidence she had found.

 

Lexa wasn’t convinced that she was going to get out of this cleanly so she was prepared for something to happen but she knew that victory came upon the back of sacrifice.

 

If she had to go down in order to have Dante charged, in order to keep the people she cared about out of what she had been pulled into she would.

 

She’d accept whatever was given to her so long as they were left untouched.

 

The Lieutenant hardly got any sleep the night before.

 

She stayed at Clarke’s apartment that night but she lay awake for the majority of the time she spent there next to Clarke as the paramedic slept soundly.

 

She wasn’t sure whether she would have been in such a stable position in the situation she was in if it hadn’t been for Clarke.

 

It wouldn’t have been a good reaction at all if she had have let her temper take control of the situation.

 

Lexa took a deep breath as she entered the same set of offices she had been in only a few days prior.

 

Her heartbeat couldn’t be settled as she waited for the elevator but she tried regardless to calm herself down.

 

She wanted to approach the situation with a calm, clear mind just like she would a rescue.

 

If she was able to do that, she would be more confident with what she was about to do but she knew how to rescue someone, she didn’t know how to confront a Commissioner.

 

When the elevator arrived on the floor she had selected, the doors opened with a bell and she found Maya standing in front of her with a smile.

 

“Hi Lieutenant” She greeted

 

“Hi” Lexa replied

 

“So Commissioner Wallace is waiting inside the meeting room, obviously he isn’t expecting you so I suggest that you try to calm him down first before you start anything” Maya noted

 

“So you know?”

 

“Of course I do” Maya replied with a chuckle “The audio and video feed are on so whatever is said in there will be recorded. Commissioner Kane is in his office with the current Chief of Police watching the feed”

 

“My officer isn’t far behind me” Lexa said

 

“Yes I know officer Echo isn’t far behind, I gave her a call to make sure everything is still going ahead” Maya nodded “Now can I get you anything before you go in there?”

 

“No thank you” Lexa replied as she took a step towards the conference room

 

“Well good luck” Maya nodded

 

Lexa gave her a nod before she placed her fingers on the wooden door, feeling a shiver run up her spine.

 

This was it.

 

Exhaling, she pushed the door open swiftly and entered the room to find Dante Wallace sitting at the head of the table.

 

His phone was in his hand and he was writing distractedly while Lexa closed the door quietly of the conference room.

 

“Now do you want to explain why you took so long to get in here Marcus?” He said as he looked up, pausing when he saw Lexa

 

“I don’t think you need an explanation that I’m not Marcus Kane” Lexa replied approaching the other side of the table

 

“Lexa, right?”

 

“You know who I am” Lexa nodded “I’ve met you many times”

 

“Care to tell me what you are doing in here?” Dante asked “Why Marcus thinks he can waste my time?”

 

“Because you and I have something very important to discuss and neither of us are leaving until we work this out” Lexa shook her head, pressing her hands down into the table from her standing position “I knew you wouldn’t meet with me so I asked Commissioner Kane to set it up for me”

 

“And what would a Lieutenant have to discuss with a Commissioner?”

 

“Well your son is a Lieutenant” Lexa countered

 

“He’s a good one at that” Commissioner Wallace replied raising his eyebrow

 

“The only time I’ve ever seen him operate he has been completely incompetent” Lexa said honestly with a shrug “And I have no doubt that he wouldn’t be there if he weren’t your son”

 

“Do you think you would be a Lieutenant if your superiors didn’t feel bad for your family after your father died on duty?”

 

“I don’t think that’s how I got here” Lexa shook her head, standing up straight

 

“I still don’t know why you are in here wasting my time” Commissioner Wallace said as he stood from his chair

 

“You should sit down, we have a lot to discuss so it could take a while” Lexa replied “And your son is exactly what I want to talk about”

 

“He’s not single” Commissioner Wallace smirked

 

“I’m not interested”

 

“No I know that because you’re involved with the paramedic in your Firehouse” Commissioner Dante replied, a smirk still evident on his face “A relationship that I don’t believe you had lodged yet”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Lexa shook her head quickly

 

“No you do” Dante nodded confidently “Her transfer papers are actually sitting on my desk that I’m personally seeing to. Do you think she would be worthy of 34?”

 

And there it was.

 

The chink in Lexa’s armour was showing.

 

“You can’t prove that” Lexa shook her head

 

“Do you think I don’t know what goes on around the Firehouses?” Dante Wallace replied “I have eyes and people everywhere so if I want to prove that, I will. You think that you are so much better than Cage because you think you have earned this more than he has”

 

“I have”

 

“If you weren’t third generation, there is no way you would have been made a Lieutenant at 24” Dante said with a sigh

 

“Is that why you put me under review?” Lexa asked

 

She knew she was getting way off track, she knew that Dante Wallace was trying to aggravate her but it was working.

 

“I wasn’t the one who put you under review” Commissioner Wallace “So now that we’re done wasting each other’s time, do you want to tell me what is actually going on here?”

 

“Well seeing as you’ve been tasteful in our conversation” Lexa said as she swallowed the lump in the back of her throat that was rising “I’m going to give you a chance to save yourself”

 

“You’re what?” Dante Wallace asked as a broad smile appeared on his face

 

“If you admit that your son, Cage Wallace set that fire 2 years ago at the warehouse in my district that your family actually owns, I’ll spare you” Lexa said

 

“You’ll spare me?” Commissioner Wallace asked as he cocked his eyebrow

 

If Lexa wasn’t so observant she would have missed it, but she didn’t.

 

She saw him visibly flinch when she mentioned the situation.

 

“I have enough proof to show that Cage Wallace was the one who started the fire that killed my friend Gustus on my third shift as Lieutenant at Firehouse 56” Lexa said “And I have more than enough proof that you’re the one, along with your corrupt Police Chief friend who took Cage out of the investigation”

 

“I can assure you that you do not have enough proof” The Commissioner said as he sat down in his chair once more

 

“I have more than enough proof that he was there and he was the one who started the fire. Two witnesses, three if you include myself put him there. He knew the warehouse was abandoned and condemned to be demolished in two weeks time. He wasn’t happy that I was Lieutenant before him because his Dad was chair of the Commission” Lexa began “But I also know that Cage was on the suspect list so you used your position and friendship with the Chief of Police to change the officer on the case after he had his initial interview and make sure an innocent man was convicted for something he didn’t do”

 

“That is a pretty big theory you have there”

 

“I have a lot of evidence to back that up, that you’re more than welcome to see copies of because the originals are sitting with the media” Lexa replied

 

“Now I know you are lying” He said, reclining in his chair with his arms folded “I am a powerful man, I know a lot of powerful people. If you went to the media, your career and your life here would be finished”

 

“You would be surprised what I would do to get justice for a man that was one of the best people I have ever known” Lexa snapped “All because your coward of a son couldn’t handle that someone could use hard work to rise above privilege”

 

“So if this is all with the media, why hasn’t it broken yet?”

 

“Because I know that you were just doing this for your son so I want to give you a chance” Lexa replied “I don’t care about you, I only want Cage put behind bars like he deserves. I am going to give you a choice, just like Gustus had when he chose to save me and not himself in that warehouse. I want to see what a hero you really are”

 

“And what are you proposing?” Dante asked “Humour me”

 

“You are going to resign from the Commission effective immediately and you are going to disappear before this is released in a few hours. You’re going to leave Cage here to face his consequences “ Lexa said clenching her jaw before she walked towards Dante at his side of the table

 

“How stupid do you think I am?” The Commissioner asked

 

“Do you think I would be standing in here, against a Commissioner if I didn’t have enough to put you both away?” Lexa seethed “I know my limits but I can assure you that I haven’t reached them yet”

 

Dante paused and Lexa could see his mind working as his eyes darted around the room before they moved back to the Lieutenant.

 

“You’ll give me time to leave?” Dante asked lowly

 

“Yes” Lexa said simply her she felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins almost double

 

“He was stupid, he really was. I told him that nothing good was going to come out of the actions he was about to take but he wouldn’t listen to me when he went to the warehouse”

 

“So he started that fire?” Lexa asked as she took a quick few steps towards the Commissioner “He started that warehouse fire?”

 

“Yes and I was only trying to protect my son like anyone would protect a child. He made a mistake and then I had to go and clean it up for him”

 

“He made a mistake?” She raised her eyebrows as well as her voice “That mistake had a long serving officer of your department murdered and an innocent man put in jail”

 

“It wasn’t ideal but I had to make sure he didn’t suffer for his mistake. It wasn’t easy taking him from the investigation but it was what any parent would do” Dante Wallace shook his head as he picked up his phone from the desk

 

“Except now you are throwing him under the bus”

 

“Because I’m not going down for something that he did on his own” Commissioner Wallace replied with a shake of his head “If that’s enough for you, I’m going to go”

 

“Please” Lexa nodded eyed Dante Wallace with her hand gripping the side of the table

 

Commissioner Wallace opened the door to leave the conference room and Commissioner Marcus Kane was standing right in front of him with a wide smile on his face.

 

“I gave you more credit than I should have” Commissioner Kane laughed “You had her on the ropes before she got to you”

 

Commissioner Dante looked back at Lexa who only had her eyes on him as her jaw was still clenched tightly.

 

“That would have been smart if it hadn’t have been me you did this to” Commissioner Wallace said with narrow eyes

 

“It was smart because she came to me with this” Marcus replied with a nod “And because I had the new Police Chief in my office to hear all of that so not only are you going to be taken to jail and hung out to dry, but your son is too. Might I add that there is a strong media contingent outside waiting eagerly for you as well”

 

Marcus looked back to Officer Echo, giving her a nod before she moved to handcuff Commissioner Dante Wallace and reading him his rights.

 

“You know I will be out by tonight” Dante laughed “This is a joke”

 

“No you won’t be” Marcus Kane shook his head “I promise you that, just like I promise you that I’m going to clean up the mess you have made here”

 

“I’ll see you tonight” Dante seethed as a group of officers began to take him from the conference room and out of the office

 

“To be honest, I didn’t think you had that in you” Marcus said as he approached Lexa who was still trying to hear anything above the sound of her pounding heart “That was a good move”

 

“I scrambled” Lexa rasped, clearing her throat as the adrenaline in her body began to lower almost instantly “Will he be out by tonight?”

 

“No” Kane said firmly as he placed a hand on Lexa’s shoulder “You completed our end of the bargain and now I’ll complete mine. A warrant is being issued for Cage Wallace’s arrest so he should be in custody by tonight as well. They won’t be getting out because we’ll be doing everything to block them”

 

“Okay”

 

“It also wont help when I have paid for his lawyers to stay out of it”

 

“You did that?” Lexa asked glancing up at him

 

“I had to” Marcus nodded “You’ve done what you needed to so you can go. I’ll take the confession that’s been recorded and keep it but my word as well as the Police Chief’s will be enough to convict them both. The story will break in full tonight once charges have been formally laid but I thought it would be nice for the media to see him being escorted out of the building by police”

 

“So they’re both going to be convicted?” Lexa asked

 

“I can promise you that” Marcus said with a nod “And I’ll see you again when we finally get to your review report”

 

“Wait, _you’re_ the one who requested it?” Lexa asked taking a step away from the Commissioner “You set up my review?”

 

“It was a collective idea of ours” Marcus nodded “But we will talk more when we meet about it”

 

“So I can go?”

 

Lexa just wanted to be at 56, she didn’t want to go home or anywhere else but she wanted to go to her Firehouse and her squad.

 

“You can go” Marcus replied with a smile “And I promise I will keep my end of the deal as well and shield you from all of this. As far as I’m concerned, you were never involved”

 

“Thank you” Lexa nodded

 

She didn’t need to be told twice, she walked from the conference room and instead of waiting for the elevator she found the emergency stairs.

 

She didn’t want to be in that building any longer than she had to be.

 

She understood that she did what she had to do but she wasn’t going to celebrate anything until she saw charges had been formally laid.

 

Lexa rushed down the stairs, getting to the ground floor as soon as possible and exiting the building.

 

She inhaled a deep breath of cold, fresh air and let it sting in her lungs.

 

Although she understood the fact that she did what she needed to, she hated the fact that she had to engage in such politics as that.

 

She lied to a man’s face so she could get what she wanted.

 

Though it was Dante Wallace, she still felt as if she had stepped straight into his world by doing what she did.

 

Lexa still felt sick, she couldn’t believe that it was done.

 

Somehow, she had managed to pull that off and it was over a lot quicker than she thought.

 

Lexa drove to Firehouse 56 quickly, making sure not to rush but she went as quickly as she legally could.

 

Once she arrived, she noticed that the Trucks and ambulance were gone so they were obviously on a call.

 

She made her way down to the Chief’s office to find him on the phone but he stood once Lexa appeared.

 

“I just got off the phone from Commissioner Kane” The Chief said as he put the phone down “Congratulations”

 

“I don’t think there’s anything to be congratulated on until I see Dante actually charged and Cage arrested” Lexa said shaking her head “He just kept telling me he would see me later when he got out”

 

“He’s not going to get out” Chief Jaha replied

 

“I just don’t feel as good as I thought I would” Lexa said honestly “I lied to get what I wanted in that room”

 

“Lexa you told a lie, it’s okay” Chief Jaha replied “You put Dante and Cage Wallace behind bars for their part in corrupting the system and killing one of our squad members. Commissioner Kane said you did a great job”

 

Lexa just nodded and sighed

 

“You’re just coming down from adrenalin, I can assure you that you’ll understand the great thing you have done later” Chief Jaha replied “You should go home”

 

“I would like to stay” Lexa said shaking her head

 

“Indra has taken over as Lieutenant for the shift and you are in no mind to focus on work so I would like you to go home” Chief Jaha replied “You can return in the morning”

 

“Okay” Lexa said quietly “Can I just wait for everyone to come back though?”

 

“Of course” The Chief nodded as his phone began to ring “This is going to be a difficult few months for everyone I think accepting just what our chair of the Commission has done but it’s definitely a positive and a chance for a fresh start”

 

Lexa nodded before walking into her office and sitting down at her desk with a sigh.

 

\---

 

An hour later, Lexa still sat in her chair as she signed a piece of paper before she heard commotion in the hall of her squad returning.

 

Lexa stood and popped her head out the door to look down the hall.

 

She spotted Clarke walking in the direction of the locker rooms, her phone in her hand and a frown on her face.

 

“Clarke” Lexa called out with a smile growing on her face once Clarke looked up at her

 

“Hey” Clarke replied as she paused, almost tripping over herself

 

“Hi” Lexa greeted once Clarke had reached her and pulled her into a tight hug

 

“I didn’t expect to see you back here” Clarke said as she walked into Lexa’s office and shut her door “I was concerned when I didn’t have anything on my phone from you”

 

“I had to come back and see you” Lexa replied with a shrug “See everyone before I could really believe that everything that just happened actually happened”

 

“So it obviously went okay then?” Clarke asked as she reached out to the Lieutenant, taking her hand and linking their fingers together gently

 

“He knew about us” Lexa said quickly, glancing down at her feet before looking back up to Clarke who’s eyes were wide “And I don’t know how he knew but he said he was personally handling your transfer papers so this all happened at the perfect time”

 

“Did he really say that?”

 

“He clearly thought he was untouchable” Lexa shrugged before she let go of Clarke’s hand and walked to her desk, pointing to the paper sitting there “Which is why we should submit this declaration today and be done with it”

 

“Good idea” Clarke nodded

 

“Anyway, he kind of cornered me with that and somehow I talked my way out of that and got him to say what Cage did and that he covered it all up” Lexa shrugged “But I’m not going to be happy until I see that he’s actually been charged”

 

“What’s happened with Cage?” Clarke asked

 

“There’s been a warrant placed for his arrest” Lexa said “So hopefully he will be with police right now”

 

“Hopefully” Clarke said as she sighed “That is pretty amazing though, you took down a Commissioner”

 

“I don’t know how amazing that is” Lexa shook her head

 

“A corrupt one” Clarke said “And you got justice for Gustus. That’s not a small thing; a lot of people wouldn’t have had the courage to do what you just did. I don’t know if you could have done that”

 

“You would have gone in with all guns blazing” Lexa smirked before she approached Clarke once more and placed one of her hands gently on the back of the paramedics neck “I just want to try and go back to normal”

 

“I know” Clarke nodded “We can start with our date tonight”

 

“We can” Lexa said quietly “Thank you for not letting me go crazy over the past few days”

 

“I didn’t do much” Clarke laughed “But I did have to stop you punching Cage Wallace a few times”

 

“You’ve done that since the day you got here” Lexa joked

 

\---

 

Lexa tapped on Clarke’s door quietly, sunflowers in her hand and a small smile on her face as she waited for the door to open.

 

As she expected, she found Raven standing in front of her but she was relieved to find her dressed in her pajamas rather than an outfit that meant she would be tagging along again.

 

She loved Raven, just not _that_ much.

 

“Hello Lieutenant” Raven greeted slowly with a nod “I have been told to be on my best behavior tonight when you came over to collect Clarke”

 

“What’s going on?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrow

 

“Apparently your training program was stressful today” Raven replied with another nod as her eyes glanced to the flower “I see you bought an actual bunch of flowers this time”

 

“Well I figured I should learn from the first time” Lexa shrugged “How was your shift?”

 

“Fine thank you” Raven said almost robotically before she paused “Now I expect you to have her home by 11”

 

“Actually I was going to ask your permission for her to stay over” Lexa joked

 

“On your first date?” Raven’s eyes narrowed “Who do you think my best friend is?”

 

“I’m ready” Clarke said from behind Raven, overnight bag in her hand

 

“I’m shocked you agreed to stay over there on your very first date” Raven said turning around to Clarke, shaking her head

 

“I’ll see you at work tomorrow” Clarke said rolling her eyes at her best friend before walking out to Lexa with a smile and it only widened as she saw the flowers in her hand

 

“I got actual flowers from an actual florist” Lexa smiled awkwardly as she held it out to Clarke

 

“Thanks” Clarke replied chuckling, taking the flower to smell them quickly “So what are we doing tonight”

 

“Well I originally thought we would do what I had planned to do on our actual first date a few weeks ago but I thought that we were way past doing the whole dinner and movie routine” Lexa shrugged

 

“We were going to dinner and a movie?” Clarke asked with a smile “I would have never picked you for a cliché romantic”

 

“No I’m not though, that’s the thing” Lexa shrugged “I’ve never been good at romance or dates or anything like that so I thought instead, we would do something I’m good at”

 

“Which is?”

 

“Well I was thinking we go back to my apartment” Lexa began

 

“Lexa you have to at least buy me dinner first” Clarke joked

 

Lexa laughed awkwardly as her cheeks felt warm and a small blush began to rise as she searched for something to say to Clarke but her mind only came up with silence

 

“Are you blushing, Lieutenant?” Clarke asked, clearly having too much fun with the situation

 

“Aww” They both heard and paused, looking behind them at the closed door

 

“Raven, are you listening?” Clarke asked with a frown on her face

 

There was a pause, they both heard feet shuffle and the TV volume increase suddenly

 

“Not anymore” They heard a voice call and Lexa suddenly felt like thanking Raven for letting her have time to keep her embarrassment under control

 

“What I meant was that I want to cook you dinner” Lexa said “I fancy myself as a pretty good cook”

 

“That sounds really nice” Clarke replied before she leaned in to kiss Lexa on the cheek “I’m sorry for making you blush”

 

“I wasn’t blushing” Lexa replied shrugging her off

 

“Yes you were” Clarke pressed her point before Lexa grabbed her girlfriend’s hand and began to pull her out of the hallway “You know, I could have just met you there”

 

“Nope, I told you I would pick you up” Lexa shrugged “We can come by tomorrow morning and get your car before work or I can just drop you home”

 

“Just drop me home after shift” Clarke replied nonchalantly “No big deal”

 

The drive to Lexa’s apartment was quiet.

 

Lexa had her radio on softly so she could listen for any news breaking, although her mind was focused on Clarke she couldn’t help but keep what happened that morning in the background.

 

Clarke completely understood that.

 

Lexa opened the car door for Clarke as she got out and held her hand as they approached her apartment, only letting go as she placed her key in the lock of her door

 

“Now I’ll have you know that I have been cleaning my apartment all afternoon since I left the Firehouse” Lexa noted

 

“Well the last time I saw your apartment I debated whether you actually lived in here because there was nothing out of place” Clarke laughed quietly as she looked down the hall before she heard Lexa open her door “I mean how could it be…”

 

Lexa took a few steps backwards into her apartment, watching nervously as she saw Clarke’s eyes widen in surprise and soften in a matter of seconds.

 

The flicker of candle light reflected on her skin as she watched Clarke step into the apartment towards her, sighing shakily as she looked at the candle lined room.

 

Lexa waited silently as she watched Clarke’s eyes take in how she had set up her apartment.

 

The dining table was already set nicely, the only light that brightened the room came from candles that were situated throughout the room and a few blankets were set up on the couch outside of the kitchen.

 

“Now just so you know, I didn’t light these and then come to your apartment” Lexa said shaking her head “I had my neighbor come into the apartment and light them for me pretty much as soon as we got back and she stayed in here until we got to the floor”

 

“Well that’s good to know” Clarke said with a grin as she looked around the room once more “Lexa, this is beautiful”

 

“You can always turn the lights on if you don’t want to eat with the candles” Lexa replied with a shrug “I just thought it could be nice”

 

“No I love it” Clarke nodded with a smile “Thank you”

 

“It’s not something that I do often, being almost a fire hazard and everything but I thought I could make an exception” Lexa shook her head “I was just hoping you would like it and I was thinking we could just watch a movie or something after”

 

“This sounds like my kind of date”

 

“Are you sure you’re happy with this?” Lexa asked “Because we can always go out if you want, I just thought that really we were past the whole first date thing and I know you had a long shift this morning”

 

“No I love it” Clarke said with a soft smile “You wait until I tell Raven, she already thinks you are a big sap secretly”

 

“I’m not a sap” Lexa shook her head as Clarke put her bag down by the door and turned to the brunette again “You hungry?”

 

“Really hungry” Clarke replied with a nod

 

Lexa had pulled out all of the stops with dinner, which she thought she owed Clarke considering she had all day to prepare for it.

 

It was a simple spaghetti, which was Lexa’s favourite but she made everything from scratch herself which included the pasta.

 

She had always been a good cook ever since she was young; she just had never let many people know that.

 

Which she explained to Clarke honestly that if people knew then she would be forced to cook all the time in the Firehouse.

 

She bribed Clarke though with a promise of more meals if she didn’t tell anyone.

 

Lexa blew the candles out as they moved to the couch where she served Clarke a cookie dough cheesecake she had learnt from her mother a while ago that she had only made twice before but the paramedic let her know it was made perfectly.

 

“You know, I would have never taken you for a cook” Clarke said as Lexa stood from the couch, taking Clarke’s plate from her

 

“No one does and it really works for me” Lexa replied as she made her way to the kitchen and placed the plates in the dishwasher “I never do anything like that, only on special occasions”

 

“Only when you are trying to impress a girl?” Clarke asked when Lexa came back to the couch, snuggling up to Clarke’s side as they sat watching TV

 

“Only then” Lexa joked “Did it work?”

 

“I’m very impressed” Clarke said seriously as she turned to the Lieutenant “You’re a bit of a puzzle”

 

“No, I’m really not” Lexa protested

 

“You are though, there’s a lot to figure out with you” Clarke replied

 

“How was Indra today?” Lexa asked

 

“We were fine” Clarke nodded “Though you tend to talk a little more, which Raven and I were discussing because we thought that was pretty rare”

 

“What was?”

 

“To find someone who talks less than you” Clarke replied

 

“I just tend to focus a lot at work” Lexa shrugged “Any serious calls?”

 

“Nothing too serious today” Clarke answered “Everything went smoothly but I will be glad to have you back as Lieutenant. Plus I can’t tell when Indra is joking and when she is serious”

 

“Oh she doesn’t really joke”

 

“That’s what I thought” Clarke laughed as she turned her head to press a kiss on Lexa's cheek “Tonight has been really great, best first date ever”

 

“Yeah I can’t say I have ever had a first date in my apartment” Lexa said shaking her head “But it’s worked well for me”

 

“Planning on having more first dates in your apartment?”

 

“Oh definitely” Lexa joked before she paused “I forgot to tell you something”

 

“What’s that?” Clarke asked while Lexa moved herself from the blonde’s side so she could look her in the eyes

 

“I asked Dante about my review” Lexa said

 

“You did?”

 

“I had to find out” Lexa shrugged “He didn’t order it”

 

“Well who did then?” Clarke asked raising an eyebrow

 

“According to Marcus, it was a collective decision” Lexa replied shaking her head “I have no idea what’s going on there”

 

“Do you know when you’ll even find out about that?” Clarke asked

 

“Hopefully sooner rather than later but my guess is now that all of this stuff is going down, probably later” Lexa replied with a sigh as she toyed with Clarke’s hand under the blanket “That’s the last thing that’s been on my mind for the last few days though”

 

“I know” Clarke replied sympathetically “But that’s done now, you can go back to just being a Lieutenant”

 

“I guess…” Lexa began as she noticed a change of colour in the room which was caused by the reflection of the TV

 

She looked to the TV to see a picture of Dante Wallace so she grabbed her remote quickly and increased the volume.

 

“ _Commissioner Dante Wallace who has served as Commission Chairman of the DC Fire Department for past 7 years has formally been charged tonight with Corruption, Tampering with evidence, blackmail of a police officer and aiding a criminal. His son Lieutenant Cage Wallace is also being sought after to answer for charges as serious as arson and the murder of a Firefighter 2 years ago. Cage Wallace looks to have received warning before the warrant for his arrest was issued and was last seen at his apartment this morning. It’s now believed that has fled the country though authorities are still trying to track him down. It’s unseen just how the Fire Department are planning on dealing with this scandal, a press conference is scheduled for tomorrow with Commissioner Marcus Kane who is odds on favourite to take over from Dante Wallace”_

Lexa switched channels; she had enough of the report as soon as she heard the news about Cage.

 

“I can’t believe that” Lexa said, feeling herself deflate by the second “All of that for Cage to leave the country and get away with it all. Dante must have warned him”

 

“He has to turn up somewhere” Clarke replied shaking her head

 

“He’s probably halfway to the Bahamas right now or something” Lexa shook her head “All of that for nothing”

 

“Hey, it wasn’t for nothing” Clarke shook her head as she stood up in front of Lexa “You helped take down Dante Wallace, which is no small thing”

 

“Yeah but the guy who actually killed Gustus is still free” Lexa muttered “Of course he is”

 

“It’ll catch up with him” Clarke nodded “Everything always does”

 

“No but guys like that just seem to be able to buy themselves out of trouble” Lexa responded “And the rest of us actually pay for our mistakes”

 

“Lexa what you did wasn’t a waste of time” Clarke replied quickly as she reached out to cup Lexa’s face with her hands gently “And it wasn’t for nothing because you helped bring a criminal to justice and at the every least people will be able to see them both for what they really are”

 

“I guess” Lexa sighed “I can’t believe that”

 

“He’ll show up somewhere” Clarke said “And honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if he show’s up to confront you because his ego is clearly a problem and he’s going to want to settle this with you”

 

“I hope he does” Lexa nodded before she sighed once more “I’m sorry, we were having a nice night”

 

“No it’s completely understandable” Clarke replied with a shrug “We can’t just stay in this bubble while reality is happening around us”

 

“Yes we can” Lexa said as she pulled Clarke down onto her lap “I like this bubble”

 

“I like this bubble too” Clarke laughed

 

Clarke went to say something once more but Lexa cut her off with a kiss.

 

She used one hand to grip the back of her neck and the other rested on the small of Clarke’s back, trying to lessen the little space between them.

 

“You’ll be impressed” Lexa mumbled into Clarke’s lips as she shifted them on the couch, laying the other girl down gently so she could position herself on top

 

“Why’s that?” Clarke asked as she broke the kiss to look up at the other girl, tucking a lock of wavy hair behind the Lieutenant’s ear

 

“I turned my phone off so no one could interrupt” Lexa smirked as she dipped her head down to nudge Clarke’s face to the side gently so she could access her neck

 

“Is that the best idea? Someone might need you” Clarke asked before she could only gasp as she felt Lexa nip the skin between her neck and shoulder blade with her teeth carefully

 

“I’m not leaving this bubble tonight” Lexa mumbled once more, shaking her head as she moved to scrape her teeth up towards the point just below Clarke’s jaw “If you’re happy to stay that is”

 

“I’m not going anywhere” Clarke replied with a shake of her head before she tangled her hand in the brunette’s hair, pushing her back up towards her lips to kiss her fervently

 

Lexa hadn’t felt that way about a girl in a very long time.

 

She wasn’t sure if she had _ever_ felt the way she did about anyone else like she did Clarke.

 

It didn’t matter though because if Clarke allowed, she fully intended on showing her just how she felt that night.

 

She refused to come out of their bubble until work the next day.

 

Because Lexa knew that bubbles burst

 

And she knew that like anything in life, moments like that were fragile.

 

One way or another, things would get in the way.

 

But she knew that could wait for tomorrow because that night belonged to Clarke.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope you liked that. 
> 
> I've got a few more things to throw at you as far as this story goes so I'll keep on posting if you want to keep reading! I'll update soon :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! 
> 
> I hope the editing isn't too bad! It's been a bit of an interesting day so I'm ready to go to bed. 
> 
> Hopefully you like this chapter, I'm resolving something and opening up something else that needs to be addressed so the next few chapters should be pretty interesting.

Lexa woke to the sound of Clarke’s phone alarm as it beeped loudly, rousing them from their deep sleep.

 

Lexa hadn’t managed to get a peaceful sleep like that night for a few days but she knew one factor in that was because she had Clarke next to her.

 

She had almost a mouthful of blonde hair as she woke to find her head buried in the back of Clarke’s neck, her bare back pressed into Lexa’s body which made her snuggle into the paramedic further.

 

“I think that means we have to get up, not that we should snuggle further into each other” Clarke rasped sleepily with a smile evident on her face

 

“I’ve never once used my snooze button but I’m considering it right now” Lexa grumbled as the arm snaked around Clarke’s waist strengthened its grip

 

“You’ve never once used your snooze button?” Clarke asked before she swiftly turning in Lexa’s arms to face the brunette

 

Their heads rested closely together, Lexa’s eyes were locked on Clarke’s as she felt a sleepy smile overtake her features.

 

Clarke moved her hand gently to brush some loose hair behind Lexa’s ear and keeping it there to toy with a few strands that refused to be tamed.

 

“Does that surprise you?” Lexa asked

 

“No” Clarke laughed “Not at all”

 

“Pretty wild first date, huh?” Lexa smiled as that warm feeling Clarke gave her surge through her veins again while watching the blonde return the smile

 

“I will say that it was definitely the first time I have ever ended up in bed with someone on the first date” Clarke replied, shaking her head with an amused smirk

 

“Me too actually” Lexa laughed “All part of the charm”

 

“You did plan a pretty excellent date though” Clarke nodded as she dipped her head to place a kiss on the bare skin of Lexa’s shoulder before returning to look her in the eyes once more “And now that I know you can cook…”

 

“As long as our deal still stands, I’ll cook for you whenever you want” Lexa replied

 

“It still stands” Clarke nodded, leaning in to kiss Lexa softly

 

Lexa smiled against Clarke’s lips, pulling away after a moment

 

“I don’t want to leave my bed” Lexa shook her head “I just don’t want to leave this moment because all hell is going to break loose today”

 

“Yeah I think it is too” Clarke nodded “But you did a good thing yesterday and it might not be pretty for a while but at least Dante is gone and everyone can have a fresh start”

 

“Clarke, you’re supposed to tell me that we can just stay in bed” Lexa joked shaking her head as she pressed her lips to the paramedic’s once more

 

“Sorry” Clarke chuckled

 

\---

 

Lexa turned her phone on once she made Clarke and herself some breakfast.

 

3 Missed Calls – Indra  
1 Voicemail – Indra  
1 Missed Call – Bellamy Blake

 

Lexa sighed quietly, she knew what it was about so she didn’t bother to listen to the voice mail or return the calls because she was headed to 56.

 

The Lieutenant pulled up at the Firehouse, parking her car and looking out to the doors.

 

“You okay?”

 

“I’m fine” Lexa nodded as she looked to Clarke “Thank you for letting me stay in my bubble for a little while longer”

 

“I’m quite happy to go back in whenever you are” Clarke smiled as she opened the passenger door “Come on, you need to get in there”

 

Lexa nodded once more as she steeled herself, walking into the Firehouse where she found all of her crew sitting in the common room in front of the TV.

 

She walked straight past, going to her office and closing herself in there for a moment before her door burst open and closed loudly.

 

Indra stood in front of her with a neutral look on her face but Lexa could see she had her hand clenched by her side

 

“Is Cage Wallace still out there?” Indra asked

 

“You know as much as I do” Lexa replied quietly “I only heard about this last night”

 

“No you didn’t” Indra shook her head “I know it was you”

 

“What do you mean?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrows

 

“I know it was you who had Commissioner Wallace charged” Indra replied firmly “You’re the only one who would actually be able to go through with that and I’ve seen you acting strangely over the past few days”

 

“Indra, you can’t tell anyone that” Lexa said quickly as she took a step towards her squad member “It is very important that you don’t tell anyone that because that will implicate everyone in this Firehouse”

 

“I’m not going to tell anyone” Indra replied shaking her head “So Cage started that fire?”

 

“He did” Lexa nodded as her jaw clenched “And someone will find Cage, he won’t get away”

 

“You and I both know he has enough money to make sure he won’t get caught” Indra replied bluntly

 

“Maybe not” Lexa shook her head “I don’t think he is smart enough to leave”

 

Before Lexa knew what was happening, Indra hugged her tightly.

 

So tightly that she almost knocked the wind right out of her lungs but before Lexa could respond to the hug, Indra pulled away.

 

“Thank you” Indra nodded before she walked out of Lexa’s office again

 

Indra was there when Gustus died and they were good friends so it shouldn’t have surprised her how her squad member reacted.

 

“I didn’t want to interrupt that but I need you out in the common room so I can brief everyone” The Chief said as he arrived at her doorway “Are you ready to start shift?”

 

“Yeah”

 

“And your head is here?” Chief Jaha questioned

 

“It couldn’t be anywhere else” Lexa answered honestly

 

Lexa moved out to the common room once more and everyone was still in their original positions in front of the TV.

 

Bellamy stood at the front of the room and Lexa joined him, glancing to Clarke who gave a quick nod.

 

“While I have everyone for a minute and before we are called out I just wanted to address what has happened last night” Chief Jaha spoke loudly as he arrived at the front of the room “Commissioner Dante Wallace was stood down and charged with corruption and a number of other criminal offenses. An arrest warrant has been issued for Cage Wallace under the charges of arson and murder of a former squad member of ours”

 

“So he did light that fire?” Lincoln asked

 

“He did” The Chief nodded

 

“Why was that only broken now?” Octavia asked as she folded her arms

 

“Commissioner Dante tampered with a lot of things to ensure that his son wasn’t implicated in this” Chief Jaha replied

 

“Do we know why he started that fire?” Raven asked “I haven’t heard anything about why he did it?”

 

“I don’t really think the motive matters” Clarke replied with a shake of her head

 

“I don’t think it does either” Chief Jaha replied “Over the next few months we are going to see a chain reaction and there will be a lot of changes made but your jobs aren’t in danger. What I need from you is to just do what you do and save lives. We need to present a united front because a lot of people are going to be questioning the Fire Department as a whole so we need to stick together”

 

“Is there any news of where Cage Wallace is?” Lexa asked from behind the Chief

 

“No news yet” Chief Jaha replied as he glanced back at the Lieutenant “But the police are looking for him and we believe he’s still in the country”

 

“The police probably aren’t looking for him because he paid them off to be blind” Raven rolled her eyes as everyone looked to her “I just said what you were all thinking. It’s great that they managed to put Dante Wallace in prison but he’ll probably be out by next week”

 

  ** _Firehouse 56 Rescue Squad 2, Engine 21, Ambulance 1 Multiple Car Accident East Lexington Avenue_**

 

“If you have any questions, you can approach me” The Chief replied

 

Lexa rushed to the truck with her squad and as soon as Lexa closed the door, Lincoln took off from the garage.

 

“That didn’t take long” Indra muttered

 

“How are you feeling about all of this, Lieutenant?” Octavia asked

 

“Fine” Lexa replied with a brief nod

 

“Uh Lieutenant, usually I can spot the accident straight away but there’s nothing going on here” Lincoln said as they pulled up across the street from the supposed accident

 

Lexa got out of the truck, looking around the area quickly as Bellamy approached her

 

“There’s nothing here” He noted with his arms outspread

 

“It must just be a false call” Lexa replied with a sigh “Which is just what we need”

 

“Should we go back?”

 

“Yeah, I don’t want to waste any time out here in case someone actually needs help” Lexa nodded before jogging to the ambulance as Raven rolled her window down “I think someone has just pranked us, we’re going back to 56”

 

\---

 

“What happened?” The Chief asked as the Squad truck pulled back into the garage

 

“There was nothing there” Lexa replied as she jumped from the truck to place her hands on her hips “Someone wanted to have some fun with us”

 

“And completely wasted our time” Octavia said from behind Lexa

 

“We’ll look into it if it happens again” The Chief nodded “Lieutenant I have signed your paperwork and lodged it immediately so as of now, your relationship with Clarke is declared”

 

“Ball and chain” Octavia commented as she threw her arm around Lexa’s shoulders

 

“Did you forget that your paperwork would have been lodged with mine?” Lexa asked with an incredulous expression before glancing to the Chief

 

“It was lodged at the same time” Chief Jaha replied

 

“Ball and Chain” Raven commented with a smirk as she leaned against the ambulance

 

“That’s your best friend” Lexa commented quickly

 

“No, you’re the ball and chain” Raven explained

 

 ** _Firehouse 56 Rescue  Squad 2 Engine 21 Ambulance 1 Car off road on near 35 Green Street_**  

 

Lexa just glanced to the Chief who nodded for her to go before they made their way to the truck again.

 

Lexa was silent on the way to the call sight because she had a feeling that they were going to get there and it would be the same result as the last one.

 

Which it was.

 

There was nothing to be seen on the entire stretch of Green Street.

 

“Dispatch this is Lieutenant Lexa from 56, what in the hell is going on there?” She asked into her radio as she stood with Bellamy and Clarke by the squad truck

 

“I’m not sure I know what you are talking about Lieutenant, can you elaborate?” The dispatch officer replied

 

“This is the second call we have been sent to that has been a hoax, this is wasting our time but also distracting us from possible emergencies” Lexa replied quickly

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“Both were logged as emergencies and needed a response team, you were the closest available”

 

“Thanks dispatch” Lexa sighed

 

“I’m not going out to another call if it’s going to be another hoax” Bellamy snapped

 

“We don’t have that luxury” Lexa said “Because the next call that’s made could be a real emergency”

 

“Has this happened before?” Clarke asked

 

“Prank call outs happen every so often but it has been a long time since we have had one back to back” Lexa replied as she shook her head “We need to go”

 

“What the hell is going on today?” Octavia asked

 

Lexa had a bad feeling about the events of that morning.

 

Everything just felt way too disrupted to be normal.

 

They were called out once more to an apparent bike accident in a park that didn’t actually happen.

 

\---

 

Lexa sat in the common room, scribbling on a blank piece of paper as her mind worked overtime.

 

One call was an inconvenience, 2 calls were irritating but 3 calls weren’t a coincidence.

 

Lexa knew that the public were probably pretty unhappy with the Fire Department, which gave her yet another reason to thank Dante and Cage.

 

But somehow she didn’t think that the calls they were receiving were from just any member of the public.

 

Lexa tapped the pen she was drawing with against her temple when she heard a crash coming from the garage.

 

She looked around the empty common room to see whether anyone else down the hall heard anything but she didn’t see any movement.

 

The Lieutenant heard yet another crash so she hurried out to the garage where she saw Cage Wallace standing, holding Monty by the shirt and pinning him up against the Engine.

 

Cage saw Lexa, shoving Monty once more and he began to try to run towards his Porche that was parked outside of the Firehouse.

 

Lexa managed to reach him pretty quickly, tackling him from behind but as soon as he hit the ground she let go and let him up.

 

He stood slowly, and turned to Lexa who didn’t say a word to him.

 

They spent a second just staring at each other before Lexa punched him, square in the jaw and his legs crumbled beneath him.

 

Lexa shook the pain from her hand before stepping over a groaning Cage Wallace to open his Porche door, grabbing the keys from the ignition and throwing them up on the roof of the Firehouse.

 

“You are going to stay here”

 

“I know it was you” Cage grumbled as he held his head in pain

 

“It was me” Lexa nodded “And just so you know, your dad threw you under the bus because he thought he could escape his charges”

 

Lexa approached him once more, kicking him in the stomach as hard as she could manage before backing off again and looking behind her to see the rest of Firehouse 56 standing by the vehicles with wide eyes.

 

“Now that he isn’t going anywhere, can someone please make sure he’s not too injured to go straight to jail?” Lexa asked as she pushed some stray hair from her face

 

After a moment Raven moved next to Lexa, pushing his shoulder with her foot, which earned a groan from Cage Wallace.

 

“He can feel pain, he’s fine” Raven nodded

 

“Can someone also please call the police” Lexa replied as she crouched down next to Cage “You actually have no idea how long I have waited to do that, so thank you for being dumb enough to show up here”

 

“That was so badass!” She heard Octavia call from behind her and everyone turned to her with raised eyebrows “Well it actually was though”

 

\---

 

Lexa sat outside the garage, staring at the Porche that was now stuck in the driveway because she had thrown the keys up on the roof.

 

While she felt great about doing it at the time, she didn’t really think about it until after Officer Echo came and collected Cage Wallace from the ground.

 

She was debating what she was going to do with it as it just sat there, taunting her like the day she saw him sitting inside it at the warehouse fire.

 

“You know, that isn’t going to move no matter how long you stare at it” Clarke said as she sat down next to Lexa, holding a bag of ice out “For your hand”

 

Lexa looked down to the bruising on her knuckles that was already beginning to show.

 

She had punched him as hard as he could and he didn’t have the softest chin.

 

“Thanks” Lexa mumbled, wincing as the coolness pressed against her warm skin

 

“You baby” Clarke teased her as she nudged the Lieutenant before bringing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her own knees “So what is happening with the Porche?”

 

“Know anyone who wants one?” Lexa joked

 

“Not one that was owned by a criminal” Clarke shook her head “You know it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to throw the keys up on the roof”

 

“Especially seeing as I’m just going to have to go up there and get them” Lexa replied with a small smile

 

“It would have been easier to pocket them” Clarke agreed “Octavia was right though”

 

“Honestly I kind of just want to get the Jaws and rip it apart but apparently Cage Wallace still has rights” Lexa grumbled “Echo is going to send a tow truck later but we probably need to move it out of the way”

 

“Do you think Cage was the one making the false calls?”

 

“Well they’ve stopped since I punched him so I think so” Lexa replied “I think I’m supposed to feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders with Cage in custody and the fact that I got to punch him in the face…but I don’t”

 

“It might take a while to sink in” Clarke answered quietly “But it’s over and you did it. You took it all on your shoulders and you did it by yourself”

 

“I had help” Lexa said as she took the ice from her hand

 

“No, you have to keep that on for 20 minutes” Clarke replied as she put the ice back on her girlfriend’s hand “Do you know what he said to Monty?”

 

“He was looking for me and he thought I might still be here while we were on call” Lexa replied “I’m not too sure why he came here by himself but he was looking for me”

 

“And no one has asked you about that?”

 

“Everyone just think’s it’s because he hates me and that’s what I want to leave it as” Lexa shook her head “I went to all of that effort to make sure that they didn’t know what happened so there’s no way they could be implicated in this, I’m not going to let them know now”

 

“Okay”

 

“But Indra picked it up this morning” Lexa said turning to Clarke “She even hugged me”

 

“Wow” Clarke chuckled

 

“I’ve known Indra for about 4 years now and that is the first time we have had any physical contact” Lexa said “But I always know she’s got my back”

 

“Everyone here does” Clarke replied “And now we have a Porche too”

 

“We are a very fancy Firehouse right now” Lexa smirked as she glanced once more to the car “The next few weeks are going to be interesting”

 

“I’m guessing we are going to see lots of changes” Clarke replied as she leaned over to place a quick kiss on Lexa’s cheek before she stood “I promised I would go and help Raven make lunch, unless you want to cook some awesome food”

 

“I don’t cook” Lexa smirked as she looked up at Clarke

 

“Liar” Clarke joked, ruffling the top of Lexa’s head before she tucked her hands in her pockets and made her way back into the Firehouse

 

Lexa paused, hearing Clarke’s comment ring through her ears

 

_‘I’m guessing we are going to see lots of changes’_

 

She pulled her phone from her pocket, unlocking it and scrolling down her recent calls list to find the office of Marcus Kane.

 

“Commissioner Marcus Kane’s office, you have reached his assistant Maya”

 

“Maya, it’s Lexa”

 

“Well hey Lieutenant, I heard about your big takedown” Maya laughed

 

“You heard about it?” Lexa asked

 

“We know Cage is in custody and that he went to 56, Marcus was actually going to call you this afternoon” Maya explained

 

“Is he in his office at all?” Lexa asked

 

“He is, I’ll transfer you right through”

 

“Thanks” Lexa uttered before she was placed on hold for only a moment

 

“Lieutenant I am starting to wonder whether you belong in the CIA” Commissioner Marcus greeted cheerfully

 

“No I definitely think I’m a Fire Fighter” Lexa replied awkwardly “I’m sorry to bother you but I need a favour” 

 

“What do you need?” Marcus asked as his tone sobered slightly

 

“I need you to guarantee me that even through this restructure or whatever happens, my team is going to stay here in 56” Lexa responded quickly

 

“Do you think that would be considered favouritism?” Marcus asked

 

“Considering I got a confession from Dante and caught Cage, no I really don’t” Lexa shook her head

 

“I don’t think it is either” Marcus replied “That’s very reasonable and I will guarantee you that now that I am Chairman of the Commission”

 

“Great” Lexa replied “Thank you”

 

“And don’t worry, whatever transfer papers Dante had for Clarke have been halted and destroyed” Commissioner Kane furthered “She isn’t going anywhere either but just make sure you declare your relationship so we can keep it that way”

 

“Paperwork was filed yesterday” Lexa answered

 

“Very efficient”

 

“Well I kind of knew that this was all coming and I didn’t know whether I was going to have to fight to block that transfer now that he was kicked off the Commission” Lexa explained, wincing as she used her sore hand to help herself up

 

“Don’t worry, you have earned a favour or two” Commissioner Marcus replied “Anything else Lieutenant?”

 

“No thank you sir” Lexa said

 

“I’ll be in touch”

 

“So that’s why you haven’t been yourself lately?” Octavia asked at the door of the garage with a ladder in her hands

 

“You always wait for me to turn around before you say anything” Lexa said with wide eyes as she tucked her phone back in her pocket and picking up her ice “How much of that did you hear?”

 

“Well conveniently I came in at the time where you said you got the confession from Dante” Octavia replied “So that was you? That’s where you were on Wednesday?”

 

“Octavia, you can’t tell a soul. Not even Lincoln” Lexa rushed, taking a few steps towards the officer

 

“Who were you on the phone to? The Mob?”

 

“Commissioner Marcus Kane” Lexa said truthfully “I was given evidence that pretty much all but confirmed Cage was the one who set the fire. I didn’t have the tools to take him down by myself because if I did then Dante would have just had the charges discarded and you all would have paid for it. I got a confession and Marcus Kane had him put away but in no way can you ever tell anyone and I am serious”

 

“I’m not going to tell anyone” Octavia replied quietly “You’re kind of my hero after today”

 

“I just did what I needed to do so you guys were safe” Lexa said with a sigh “And I couldn’t with a clear conscience just let what I found go, Gustus deserved better than that”

 

“I won’t tell anyone” Octavia repeated “I promise”

 

“Thank you” Lexa replied

 

“I actually just came to get those keys off the roof so we can move the car out the way” Octavia said as she moved to set the ladder up against the garage “And you know, I might need to move it around the block before I can park it”

 

“That’s not a great idea” Lexa said with a smirk

 

“Put the ice on back your hand or Clarke’s going to kick your ass”

 

\---

 

2 long months had gone by since Cage Wallace had been arrested.

 

2 months and 1 day since Dante Wallace was taken into custody.

 

True to Marcus Kane’s words, Firehouse 56 was untouched by any reshuffles and changes caused by the Wallace controversy.

 

Lexa had been able to focus running her Firehouse once more and she knew that she made the right choice in making that deal with Kane.

 

He was Chairman of the Commission and he was seemingly doing a great job.

 

He had cleaned out any of Dante Wallace’s supporters and replaced them with his own people.

 

Cage and Dante Wallace were both given lengthy jail times, though they were sent to a prison that was more like a hotel.

 

Lexa tried not to let that bother her though, it irritated her to no end but she soon realised that it wasn’t helping her try to move on.

 

Which was something she struggled to do for a little while.

 

Now though, she walked past the plaque in the common room with her head held high.

 

Knowing that Gustus received the justice he deserved but she still thought about him everyday.

 

She could never forget.

 

Lexa stood in front of the small mirror, pulling her jacket tightly and adjusting her collar.

 

2 months of chaos had taken over the Fire Department Commission and now Lexa was finally going to find out the results of her review.

 

She wasn’t exactly sure why she had to go into the Commission office in full dress uniform but the Commission had requested that so that’s what she was doing.

 

“Why don’t you just go into the locker room and look in the full sized mirror?” Clarke asked as she stood behind Lexa, looking at her in the mirror over her shoulder

 

“Because everyone is going to make a huge deal about this” Lexa grumbled as she fiddled with her sleeve “And once again I have no idea what’s going on because people don’t seem to like answering questions here”

 

“What do you mean you don’t know what’s going on?” Clarke asked as she spun Lexa around to face her, straightening the Lieutenant’s jacket gently “You look perfect, you’ve probably put this on a million times before”

 

“No, the last time I put this whole thing on was for Gustus’ funeral” Lexa replied “What I mean is I don’t know why I have to wear a full dress uniform. What are we going to do? Have a Fire Fighters ball while I’m in the offices?”

 

“I have no idea” Clarke chucked “You are ridiculous”

 

“Thanks” Lexa said gruffly “I just feel so trapped in this collar and having to wear a tie is the worst”

 

“I think you look great” Clarke said with a grin “Are you going to be out all shift?”

 

“I’ll come back as soon as I’m done” Lexa shook her head “Provided I still have a job”

 

“Why would you not still have a job?”

 

“Well maybe they are giving me marching orders” Lexa shrugged “I mean that would make sense as to why I’m wearing my full uniform”

 

“Your review were almost perfect” Clarke shook her head “Everyone thought that”

 

“Except for my little episode” Lexa replied “But I will definitely defend that when that’s brought up”

 

“If it is” Clarke replied with a small smile “You know you’re not going anywhere”

 

“I’m just trying to expect anything” Lexa said honestly “I’m cooking dinner tonight, right?”

 

“Yes you are” Clarke nodded “Are we at your apartment or mine?”

 

“Yours” Lexa said with a sigh “I said I would cook Raven dinner too”

 

“Hey you should probably get going” Clarke said as she pointed to the clock on Lexa’ desk before she smiled “Is that a photo of us on your desk?”

 

“What?” Lexa asked as she looked at her desk, she had only just put that photo up on there from Octavia’s birthday party

 

Lexa had never seen herself so happy in a photo and that was directly thanks to the girl next to her who was pressing her cheek against her own.

 

So although she saw the girl every shift at work, she wanted something to remind her when she was frustrated at paperwork or grumpy that she had something worth smiling about outside of the 4 walls of her office

 

“Nope” Lexa said as she grabbed her hat quickly and pulled Clarke out of her office towards the common room

 

“Yes it was” Clarke laughed “You have a photo of us on your desk”

 

“You know, you look like you could be taking Clarke to the Fire Fighters ball right now” Octavia said with a smirk

 

“See” Lexa said turning to Clarke

 

“Give us a twirl” Raven called from the table

 

Lexa looked to Raven, her face evening out and her eyebrow raising slowly

 

“I mean” Raven said as she cleared her throat “I mean you look great”

 

“I thought you said that” Lexa nodded “I have to go to my review report so it’s been an honour working with you”

 

“We’ll see you when you get back” Bellamy said throwing a cushion at her from the couch

 

“You’re pretty dramatic for a quiet person” Lincoln said with a smirk as he folded his arms

 

“I also have a really good memory” Lexa replied “So I’ll remember who will be cleaning the truck from front to back and then bathrooms”

 

“You’re going to be late” Chief Jaha said as he walked out to the common room “I’m going to wish you good luck but I don’t think you’re going to need it”

 

“Thank you Chief” Lexa nodded “As for the rest of you, I’ll see you when I get back”

 

Lexa linked her fingers with Clarke’s and gripped her hand tightly as she walked out to the car park.

 

“Come and find me as soon as you get back, I want to hear all about it” Clarke said with a smile “You’re going to be great and you look amazing so how could they not want to not fire you?”

 

“Thank you” Lexa laughed, reaching her hand to cup Clarke’s cheek gently “This place can be a bit of a madhouse and I love it but I like having you around more to keep me sane”

 

“Me too” Clarke replied with a small smile as she placed her hands on both of Lexa’s shoulders “You’ll be fine, Lieutenant”

 

“I’ll see you when I get back”

 

“You will” Clarke nodded as she leaned in to kiss Lexa quickly

 

It was short but it was sweet and Lexa felt herself feel a little empty when she lost all physical contact with Clarke.

 

“Go on” Clarke replied “No more stalling”

 

“No more stalling” Lexa nodded

 

The drive to the offices was relatively short but it was one she hadn’t done since the day she had gotten Dante Wallace to confess.

 

Lexa took the elevator up to find Maya standing by the elevator, causing a severe case of Déjà vu to take a hold of her.

 

“Hey Lieutenant, nice uniform” Maya said with a wink as she grabbed her by the elbow and pulled Lexa towards the conference room “They wanted to start as soon as you got here”

 

“So the Commission are waiting in there?” Lexa asked

 

“Yes”

 

“And it’s just me going in there?” Lexa asked

 

“Well no one else is being reviewed” Maya smiled “Can I get you anything?”

 

“No thank you” Lexa shook her head as she removed her hat, staring at the same door handle she had struggled to reach for the last time she was here

 

“Things have changed a lot since you were here last” Maya chimed as she moved away from Lexa “And you helped make that change, go in”

 

Lexa nodded to herself, clenching her jaw and resetting her face to show no emotion.

 

She was the Lieutenant and she was not nervous Lexa.

 

Pushing the doors open she paused, the only person in the room she could see was Marcus Kane.

 

He sat at the end of the table that Dante Wallace had been sitting in when she was in the room last.

 

“Hello Lieutenant” Marcus grinned broadly “Take a seat”

 

“Is there an option to stand?” Lexa asked

 

“Sit please” Marcus nodded as he pointed to the seat across from him at the conference table “I decided that it would be more appropriate for you and I just to meet to discuss your review”

 

“Can I ask why I’m in my full dress uniform?” Lexa asked as she sat down, placing her hat down on the table next to her

 

“Technically if you have a formal meeting with a Commissioner, it’s protocol for you to wear your dress uniform” Marcus replied “Though I want to try and make this as informal as I can for you”

 

“Okay” Lexa said with a sigh

 

“As I had said to you previously, I was the one to request your review and not Dante Wallace” Marcus began “It took me a while to get it over the line with the other Commissioners but obviously I managed to”

 

“Okay so now that the review is over and I’m sitting in front of you, in my formal uniform” Lexa began as she rested her hands on the table “Can I finally find out why I was under review”

 

“Did you ever consider that you were under review for a good reason?”

 

“Why would I be under review for a good reason?” Lexa asked

 

“A few months ago we were contacted by the Seattle Fire Department to ask for our help. They have a Firehouse in their district that has fallen behind as far as standards go. They asked if we had anyone that we thought could take over as Chief in that Firehouse and really make it their own. Someone who could commit to staying there and almost building the house from the ground up” Marcus said with a nod “And I had you in mind straight away but I needed to prove that you were good enough for the job so I knew the only way to prove that was to actually present your results to them”

 

“Chief of a Firehouse in Seattle?” Lexa asked “Why Seattle?”

 

“They put out a call to a few State Fire Departments because they wanted the best, the department is located right in the heart of the city and it’s one of the busiest as well” Marcus said as he leaned forward “You passed your review with flying colours, I would even justify the only slip up you had when I sent those officers to you at inconvenient times. I probably would have done worse to them and you defended your squad”

 

“So you sent them there after each call?” Lexa asked “Because I don’t think I have ever experienced anything so irritating”

 

“I know” Marcus chuckled “The only thing that you were missing was experience in managing multiple teams”

 

“Clarke and Raven” Lexa said as the penny dropped

 

“That’s exactly right, I had them assigned to you so you could prove you could manage paramedics as well” Marcus replied “And clearly that worked out well”

 

“So that’s why my leadership was being tested” Lexa replied with a nod

 

“Needless to say Lexa they Seattle Department want you to go in there and be Chief of this house, they want you to do what you have done in 56 and get everything in order” Marcus grinned “They want you to be Chief of one of their busiest Firehouses”

 

“Why?”

 

“I think I just explained that”

 

“No, why did you submit me?” Lexa asked “There are a lot of other worthy people you could have submitted”

 

“Because I’ve watched what you’ve done with 56 under Chief Jaha and I have seen 56 become one of the best Firehouses in the country”

 

“So why do you want to break that up?” Lexa asked quickly

 

“I don’t want to break that up but I thought that you deserved this opportunity” Marcus said “And it really is an opportunity that won’t come around again for a very long time. You could be Chief of a Firehouse at 26 years of age, it’s unheard of. Because you are young and relatively unattached, you are perfect to go and base yourself there on a long term basis, which is what they want. I believe you have what it takes and so does the Seattle Fire Department so I want to know whether you think you have what it takes”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Anyone have any guesses as to what Lexa is going to do?
> 
> I'll try and have an update tomorrow.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone! 
> 
> This chapter took me a little while and it's a pretty big one too! I apparently can't produce small chapters now. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!

Lexa sat in front of Commissioner Marcus Kane completely frozen as he waited patiently for her response.

 

She hadn’t expected that.

 

How could she have?

 

She thought she was going to be dragged through the coals when she was called into the meeting.

 

But there she was, being offered Chief.

 

Chief of a Firehouse at 26 years of age, Marcus was right because it was practically unheard of.

 

The only problem Lexa had was the location and that wasn’t a small problem.

 

That’s what hit her the hardest besides the fact that she wouldn’t be in 56 anymore.

 

“I hate to bring my personal life into this” Lexa began

 

“Clarke?” Marcus asked with a nod

 

“Yes sir” Lexa mumbled “Is there an option for her to possibly come with?”

 

“I’ve already checked that possibility” Marcus replied “And unfortunately there’s only one position open in Seattle’s Firehouse 20 and that’s Chief”

 

“Firehouse 20” Lexa repeated quietly

 

“The Firehouse is full, there are already 2 long term paramedics in there and they actually aren’t the problem in the house from what I have been told” Marcus Kane answered “I can’t just request for someone to be transferred out so Clarke can come in. I think that would almost blur the lines of what could be considered as favouritism but also I don’t think that would be setting a good tone to your new crew”

 

“How much does this Firehouse need to be fixed?” Lexa asked

 

“A considerable amount and they understand it’s going to take time so that’s why they want you to come in, set up the foundations like you have in Firehouse 56 and go from there. They want you to bring in your own procedures, run your own shifts, work out how best to run their squads your own way” Marcus replied “As I said, individually this is a huge opportunity for you. I understand you wouldn’t want to leave your squad and you wouldn’t want to leave Clarke but this isn’t a small thing to consider”

 

“Are you sure they chose me?” Lexa asked with a sigh

 

“I think they wanted you the whole time but they just needed some evidence to back up their decision” Commissioner Kane replied “I don’t want to lose you from my Fire Department just because of how valuable you are but you have proven yourself to have one hell of a heart and I think you deserve this opportunity”

 

“Can I have time to think about this?” Lexa asked

 

“Of course” Marcus nodded “I didn’t expect for you to have an answer for me straight away but I will need to have an answer by Monday, so you have 4 days to decide”

 

“That should hopefully be enough” Lexa said “That might be too much”

 

“It does give you a lot of time to think” Marcus smiled “Consider everything you need to but if I were in your shoes, I would go. I know you are happy here, I know what strong ties you have in 56 but this would be huge beyond words for you. Individually you would be jumping ahead in your career by about 10 years, maybe even more”

 

“Can I ask about my review?”

 

“What do you want to ask?” Marcus replied

 

“The accident that the officers attended, the double fatality”

 

“They knew you couldn’t do anything to prevent that and they were impressed how your squad handled everything” Marcus Kane noted “Your paperwork was impeccable, your inspections were almost so perfect that they were actually just going back and searching for any mistakes”

 

“But I can’t take credit for all of that” Lexa said shaking her head “The whole house deserves a promotion”

 

“Well that’s why I firmly believe that someone on your squad would be perfect to take over your position should you choose to leave” Marcus nodded “You have trained them well enough for someone to just seamlessly step into that role”

 

“Indra?”

 

“I think she would be a perfect fit for the immediate future though I have my eye on Octavia Blake to take over when Indra decides to retire” Marcus said “And I think she’s only a few years off that”

 

“I couldn’t agree more” Lexa replied as a small smile appeared on her face “I think Octavia still has a lot to learn but she could be the best squad Lieutenant 56 has ever seen in time”

 

“She would have some high bench marks to surpass”

 

“I just built on what I was given” Lexa shook her head

 

“But what you were given wasn’t a whole lot” Marcus shook his head “You don’t give yourself credit for what you have achieved”

 

“I don’t think I can take all of it” Lexa answered “So, Monday?”

 

“Just call me on Monday with your decision” Marcus nodded

 

“Thank you sir” Lexa said as she stood from the conference table with a sigh, nodding at the Commissioner one last time before she walked from the room and to the elevator

 

“I believe congratulations are in order” Maya said from the reception desk

 

“Thanks” Lexa said with a furrowed brow as she heard the elevator bell ring, signalling it had arrived

 

Lexa was so focussed on getting back to her car so she could have a moment to herself that she hardly even heard Maya say goodbye to her.

 

She opened her car door, throwing her hat down on the passenger seat and loosening the tie around her neck swiftly so she could take that off as well.

 

Leaning her head against the headrest she sighed deeply before she felt a swell in her chest and a smile breaking through her neutral expression.

 

This was a huge deal and Lexa didn’t want to downplay that.

 

She knew that Marcus was right and it was something that she was going to have to consider carefully because it wasn’t going to come around again anytime soon.

 

A Chief at 26 years old.

 

She knew that her dad would be so proud of her but she worried about her mother’s reaction, knowing she would only stress about her safety.

 

The Lieutenant knew that she was going to have so many factors to consider, the main one being that Firehouse 56 were her family and Clarke was probably the most important person in her life at that moment.

 

What they had together only strengthened by the day and she didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.

 

She didn’t think she could actually pull herself away from her Rescue Squad but she let the moment sink in and didn’t think of the complications because she deserved at least one moment of happiness from this huge opportunity.

 

Lexa returned to the Firehouse to see the Engine gone but her Squad truck and ambulance still sitting in the garage.

 

She walked towards the common room and heard laughter erupt through the firehouse, causing a small grin to appear on her face as she entered the room.

 

Octavia, Lincoln and Clarke were sitting at the table playing a card game that Lexa didn’t understand while Raven and Indra were seated on the couch watching T.V.

 

“You look like you’re coming home from a big night” Raven observed

 

“I feel like I’m coming home from a big night” Lexa replied shaking her head “Where’s the Engine Crew?”

 

“Dumpster fire” Indra answered from the table

 

“Have we had any call outs?” Lexa asked

 

“Not yet” Clarke shook her head

 

“I’m going to go get changed quickly”

 

“So you still have a job then?” Octavia asked with a small smile

 

“I do” Lexa laughed

 

Lexa took her clothes into the locker room and changed in one of the stalls.

 

Once she finished changing she emerged to find Clarke straddling the bench with her legs either side and her hands resting in front of her.

 

“Everything okay?” Clarke asked “How did it go?”

 

“It actually went really well” Lexa said shaking her head “Which is something I didn’t expect”

 

“I told you” Clarke said with a satisfied smile

 

“I want to tell you about” Lexa nodded as she sat down next from Clarke on the wooden bench “But I think to explain everything properly I need to tell you after shift tonight”

 

“Sounds good to me” Clarke replied with a small smile before leaning in to kiss Lexa softly

 

Lexa sighed against Clarke’s lips, bringing her hand to rest on Clarke’s thigh.

 

Little moments like that are what Lexa would be missing if she considered leaving.

 

Moments that brought her immense comfort and sanity.

 

Lexa knew that Clarke was her missing piece and that was something she didn’t know she could part with because not everyone got that.

 

“Can I stay over tonight?” Lexa asked as they broke from the kiss, leaving her forehead pressed against the paramedic’s

 

“I thought you were anyway” Clarke replied with a small nodded, her lips pursing as she swallowed thickly

 

“Do you have plans tomorrow?”

 

“Nope” Clarke replied shaking her head “Raven and I were just going to watch movies on the couch if you want to join”

 

“I don’t want to crash your movie date” Lexa smiled but she found her breath catching as Clarke finally opened the eyes that could look right through her

 

“No Raven actually asked if you want to stay for it anyway” Clarke shook her head “I actually think she’s going out tonight now after dinner”

 

“Is she going out with that new police officer? That one she has been flirting with on the past few calls?” Lexa asked leaning back from her girlfriend “Officer Quick?”

 

“It’s Wick and yes” Clarke said before she began to laugh uncontrollably “Officer Quick?”

 

“Believe me, I could have picked worse options to guess” Lexa shook her head as she watched the blonde laugh with an amused smile

 

“I don’t want to interrupt this but Chief wants to see you in his office” Octavia said with a small smile as she walked in the locker room

 

“Thanks” Lexa said with a small smile

 

She kissed Clarke on the top of the head as she stood before she walked to the Chief’s office, knocking on the open door

 

“Octavia said you wanted to see me?”

 

“I do” Chief Jaha replied “Close the door please”

 

“Okay” Lexa nodded as she eyed the Chief for a moment “Everything okay?”

 

“I just got off the phone to Commissioner Marcus Kane” Chief Jaha replied as a smile broke through his tough demeanour “Congratulations”

 

“Thank you” Lexa said as she quickly closed the door behind her and took a seat across from the Chief like she had many times before but this felt different for some reason

 

“He told me that you were taking until Monday to decide”

 

“I have a lot to think about” Lexa replied “It’s not a small move and it’s a big step plus everyone in this Firehouse is family to me”

 

“I know” Chief Jaha nodded “This is a very big opportunity though, something that you shouldn’t take lightly”

 

“No, believe me Chief” Lexa began “I’m not taking it lightly and I don’t know if the weight of the situation has really hit me yet but I want to take my time to consider my options”

 

“Don’t get me wrong here Lieutenant, I don’t want to lose you to another Firehouse let alone another state but this is a great opportunity for you” Chief Jaha replied “The Seattle Fire Department have enough faith in you to give you a house to make what you want it, to mould the people there how you want to. All without having to actually meet you. Which is something that I honestly don’t think will come across the table ever again. You will make Chief in DC if you stay eventually, there’s no stopping you doing that but if you succeed in Seattle, you have the world at your feet”

 

“I know that” Lexa nodded “And I’m so excited by the prospect of that, I actually can’t describe that feeling but I also can’t describe how I would feel leaving those animals out in the common room”

 

“You have gotten this Firehouse to a point where you could leave and things wouldn’t fall apart without you, which is an immense testament to how you have changed this place. To be honest I don’t know if there is much more you could improve on here from your current position” Chief Jaha replied “You make my job very easy until you yell at officers who are sent by the Commission”

 

“Got to keep you on your toes” Lexa joked awkwardly

 

“What I’m saying is that everyone here will miss you, it wouldn’t be the same house without you and obviously you have some other personal matters to discuss” The Chief said as he shifted in his chair “But you have gotten this house ready to the point where you can move on to bigger things because that’s what you deserve both professionally and personally”

 

“Thank you” Lexa said quietly “I appreciate you saying that”

 

“I will be happy with whatever decision you make and I urge you to really think about this. Really use both your head and your heart to make this decision not just the one”

 

“I will sir”

 

**_Firehouse 56 Rescue Squad 2 Ambulance 1 Urgent Structure Rescue required 973/3009 Arthur Street_ **

****

“Time to go to work” Lexa said as she stood from her chair “Thank you, Chief”

 

\---

 

Lexa stood in Clarke’s kitchen looking over the stove, putting the final touches on the Risotto as the stuffed chicken breast cooked in the oven.

 

She had tied her hair back in a loose bun sitting at the top of her head, wearing an old loose shirt and old jeans because she always seemed to spill things on her whenever she cooked

 

Clarke was setting the table while Raven showered, getting herself ready for her date after dinner.

 

The structure rescue proved to be pretty trying; a guy had fallen from the second floor on a construction site and landed onto some metal framing.

 

Needless to say it was pretty brutal and Rescue Squad just had to cut the metal around him so he could be transported to hospital to have it surgically removed.

 

It had been one of the biggest days in Lexa’s life.

 

It was long, it was trying but it was also rewarding.

 

Lexa still hadn’t told Clarke about what Commissioner Kane had talked to her about at the review; she was going to leave that until Raven was gone.

 

“Aren’t you scared that Raven is going to tell everyone you’re a good cook?” Clarke asked as she put the last of the cutlery down

 

“No, she knows what will happen if she tells anyone” Lexa replied, using the wooden spoon to stir her risotto before turning down the heat “Want to try some?”

 

“You know, one day those bathrooms are going to be so clean that you’re going to need to find another thing to threaten everyone with” Clarke chuckled as she made her way to the stove

 

“That’s never going to happen because Firehouse 56 don’t know how to maintain clean bathrooms” Lexa chuckled, holding the spoon out for Clarke “It’s hot”

 

Clarke nodded with a hum of approval as she chewed after taking some risotto from the spoon.

 

Lexa smiled brightly, looking back down at the pan again before resting her hip against the edge of the stove.

 

“This is nice” Lexa observed quietly “Doing this tonight”  

 

“This is really nice” Clarke nodded “And your risotto is awesome”

 

“Thank you” Lexa nodded, the grin still evident on her face

 

“Okay well whatever your making smells delicious and it’s probably the best smell we have had come from this kitchen since we moved in” Raven said as she emerged from the bathroom quickly before she rushed to her room

 

“So when are you going to tell me about your review?” Clarke questioned as she turned back to her girlfriend who pulled the chicken from the oven

 

“When we get a quiet moment later” Lexa said with a small smile

 

Lexa soon dished up their food so they could all sit together at the table before Raven went out on her date.

 

Raven hadn’t had much time to eat that day and was in a rush so she enthusiastically demolished her food while Lexa watched on with wide eyes.

 

“This is my apartment so it’s a no judging zone” Raven said “Plus I need to go finish off my makeup”

 

“Finish it off?” Lexa asked “You look great already”

 

“Lieutenant _please_ ” Raven joked as she feigned shyness before she mumbled and looked towards Clarke “I mean your girlfriend is right next to me”

 

“Shut up” Clarke said rolling her eyes with a grin

 

“Clarke always looks beautiful” Lexa said with a winning grin, looking to the blonde

 

“So you’re saying I don’t?” Raven challenged

 

“Raven, she just cooked you dinner” Clarke said “You don’t need to try and tease her”

 

“Sorry” Raven nodded “So how did you learn to cook like this?”

 

“My mom taught me” Lexa nodded “Now her cooking is amazing”

 

“You should bring her around one day” Raven said raising her eyebrows “Because I was talking with a few people in the house and I’m not entirely convinced you have parents”

 

“Raven” Clarke warned very quickly

 

“It’s okay” Lexa said waving Clarke off lightly as an intimidating smirk overcame her, one that would make anyone second guess what they were about to say “And why is that, Reyes?”

 

“Well…I don’t know whether I want to finish what I was going to say because I feel like I’m going to be fired” Raven said wide eyed

 

“Say it” Lexa nodded

 

“Well I mean you never talk about them and I mean you have been with Clarke for a little while now but she hasn’t met your mom” Raven shrugged “Which I know she wouldn’t say but I bet she is thinking it”

 

“No, don’t you bring me into that” Clarke said putting her cutlery down

 

“Well I just don’t talk about my family much” Lexa shrugged “I love my mother very much but she is really old fashioned and she is intense so I’m trying to spare Clarke from that for as long as possible”

 

“Anyway, she taught you to be a pretty awesome cook”

 

“Good save” Lexa nodded “So now that you’ve questioned me, how did you line up this date with Officer Wick”

 

“Well Kyle is his name and we’ve seen him around a few calls” Raven shrugged “He was the one who approached me and asked for my number, he just seems like a nice guy”

 

“Well you know if all else fails, we can all go get waffles” Lexa joked

 

“I don’t want to crash your dates anymore” Raven said as she scrunched her face “You’re too cute for me to handle for single me sometimes” 

 

They finished up dinner pretty quickly and Raven went out to meet Kyle Wick, promising to tell Clarke all about it once she got home.

 

Clarke cleaned the kitchen, quickly letting Lexa know of her ‘if you cook, you don’t clean’ rule but Lexa couldn’t help herself otherwise she just felt useless.

 

Once the kitchen was cleaned Clarke all too eagerly dragged Lexa back to her room, closing the door and pushing her back on her bed as she turned the TV on.

 

Lexa pulled herself up to sit against the headboard of the bed and smiled as Clarke sat next to her and leaned her head on the Lieutenant’s shoulder, taking her hand and linking their fingers gently.

 

“Thank you for dinner”

 

“My pleasure” Lexa replied quietly as she looked down to their linked hands “You know, I kind of owe Marcus Kane a lot right now”

 

“I think he owes you” Clarke responded “Why do you say that though?”

 

“Well he’s the reason I met you”

 

“He caused that car crash?” Clarke asked jokingly

 

“No, he assigned you to Firehouse 56”

 

“He did?” Clarke asked lifting her head from Lexa’s shoulder, only to have Lexa playfully put it back there

 

“My review went really well, apparently it was near perfect”

 

“And I told you it would be” Clarke said “That part I didn’t wonder about but you obviously found out why you were on review?”

 

“I did” Lexa nodded as she used her free hand to run her fingers gently over Clarke’s arm “Apparently another Fire Department was looking for someone to take over a Firehouse as Chief and kind of build from the ground upwards. For some reason Marcus thought they would be interested in me so he put me under review to prove to them that I was as good as he said I was. I mean obviously it’s extremely helpful when I have a team like I do”

 

“Wait, Chief?” Clarke asked lifting her head from Lexa’s shoulder once more “That’s amazing”

 

“Yeah, apparently my results showed them what they needed to see and they want me to take over that Firehouse” Lexa nodded

 

“That’s huge, Lexa!” Clarke exclaimed before she kissed Lexa’s cheek

 

“The only problem I’m having with that is that the Firehouse is in Seattle”

 

“As in Washington?”

 

“As in the other side of the country” Lexa confirmed

 

“Oh” Clarke said, the tone of her voice dropping dramatically

 

“Yeah” Lexa answered with a sigh

 

“Well it’s still amazing” Clarke nodded as she tried to be as encouraging as possible all the while still processing her own thoughts “So what else did he say?”

 

“Well that they needed to prove that I could lead multiple teams and that’s how you and Raven ended up at 56” Lexa said “And that’s why I have to thank him but I have until Monday to let him know my decision”

 

“That’s huge, Lexa” Clarke said “And no one deserves it more”

 

“Thank you, I have absolutely no idea what to do though” The Lieutenant replied

 

Lexa heard Clarke sigh beside her before she felt the girl shift, moving to straddle the Lieutenant’s hips so she could look the brunette in the eyes.

 

Clarke paused, a small smile on her face before she leaned in to place a soft kiss on Lexa’s lips.

 

Lexa placed her hands on both of Clarke’s thighs, gently squeezing them before Clarke pulled back to look her in the eyes once more.

 

“What were your first thoughts?” Clarke asked “When Commissioner Kane told you about this”

 

“I had a few” Lexa shrugged “I was really excited first of all and a little shocked. I know what a huge chance this is for me and that I might not make Chief for another 10 years if I stay”

 

“Okay” Clarke nodded

 

“But I also don’t know how to be at any other Firehouse than 56. I don’t know how to be without my recue squad that I help put together and quite frankly I don’t know how to be without you anymore” Lexa said honestly

 

“Professionally though, do you think it would be the right step?”

 

“Yes” Lexa said quietly “But every time I think that, I just get brought back to the fact that I don’t think I could actually leave”

 

“I’m guessing Indra would take over you if you left?” Clarke asked

 

“She’d take over for the short term but Octavia has to be the long term solution for the Firehouse” Lexa shrugged “But what if I went all the way to Seattle and then I realised it was a mistake?”

 

“I’m sure you would be able to handle whatever was put in front of you” Clarke replied “That’s one thing I’m sure of”

 

“Well what do you think?” Lexa asked quietly as she drew patterns absentmindedly on the material of Clarke’s jeans over her right thigh

 

“About the opportunity?”

 

“About everything” Lexa shrugged

 

“I think…I think that you need to let this all sink in before you make a decision and you need a little more time for your own opinion to settle before I tell you mine” Clarke said simply “I know how much weight you will put in my opinion so I am happy to talk to you about this tomorrow but I think right now, you need to just let your own thoughts settle”

 

“Nope, you have someone delivering you lines in your ears” Lexa shook her head as she leaned up to capture Clarke’s lips quickly in her own

 

“I just know that you would have already had Commissioner Kane and the Chief telling you what they think but I don’t want to influence your decision and you deserve at least a day to form your own opinion” Clarke said shrugging “I think you already know how I feel though”

 

“I do” Lexa said, her voice just above a whisper “Because I feel the same” 

 

“Have you told your mom?” Clarke asked

 

“No, I haven’t told anyone but you” Lexa shook her head “Marcus called Chief Jaha and told him obviously because it has implications within his Firehouse if I do go but you’re the only one I told”

 

“Well thank you” Clarke replied with a small “Are you going to tell her?”

 

“I’ll call her but she might freak out” Lexa answered “I mean she doesn’t really love that I’m a Fire Fighter after what happened with my dad but I think she’ll be happy for me”

 

“That will be a huge move for both of you if you do go”

 

“Well I’ve never lived anywhere else my whole life” Lexa said with a sad smile “This is all I know”

 

“It’s hard” Clarke said honestly “It was difficult for me and I had Raven with me”

 

Lexa nodded as her eyes fell to her fingers, still tracing patterns on Clarke’s leg

 

“I’m not going to tell anyone in 56 unless I actually decide to go” Lexa said shaking her head in thought “I can’t believe I am actually considering it”

 

“But you have to” Clarke said “It wouldn’t be fair on yourself if you didn’t at least consider it”

 

“I know” Lexa replied flatly “Sorry if I kind of ruined our night”

 

“You didn’t ruin anything” Clarke replied shaking her head “You and I are just going to snuggle up now and try to have a normal night. As normal as we can right now”

 

“I like that idea” Lexa nodded

 

\---

 

The next day Clarke and Lexa spent their day off on the couch across from Raven watching movies.

 

It was a cool, rainy day outside so they were all quite happy to stay inside and not have to move on their day off.

 

Raven had a fantastic date with Wick, so fantastic that he was going to come over later and hang out with them all after he finished his shift.

 

Lexa felt herself drifting to sleep as she laid her head on Clarke’s chest, hearing the strong, rhythmic thud of her heart and feeling the paramedic’s fingers scratch against her scalp gently as they ran through her hair. 

 

This was where Lexa was most vulnerable, when she was with Clarke.

 

It was something that Raven had only seen a few times but it made the romantic in her smile as she watched her headstrong, stubborn, tough Lieutenant turn into mush under Clarke’s fingertips.

 

Lexa was almost completely asleep when a laugh escaped Clarke’s mouth quietly as she watched the comedy that was on TV, causing Lexa's head to jolt up suddenly but she was quickly soothed by a kiss on the top of the head and a soft apology.

 

The Lieutenant heard a faint knock on the door and soon heard a voice that she could only assume was Kyle Wick as he greeted Clarke who said hello but also introduced her half asleep girlfriend.

 

“I should sit up” Lexa mumbled as she stirred slightly, her head still facing away from the TV

 

“It’s okay, you can stay there” Clarke replied, the hum in her voice echoing through her chest

 

“I don’t want to be rude” Lexa said shaking her head and sitting up with a sigh

 

“Oh, you’re awake” Raven smirked, leaning her head against Wick’s shoulder

 

“I was awake the whole time” Lexa said as she stood, taking a few steps towards Kyle Wick and shaking his hand “I’m Lexa”

 

“Wick” He said with a nod “Raven talked a lot about you last night”

 

“What did she say?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrow as she moved to sit back down next to Clarke, pulling the blanket over herself

 

“That you punched Cage Wallace in the face outside Firehouse 56” Wick smirked

 

“I did” Lexa replied with a nod

 

“She said you have an excellent right hook”

 

“Well he did go down like a sack of potatoes” Lexa said with a small smile “He was threatening someone in the Firehouse and after everything else came out I kind of just saw red”

 

“I have to say Lieutenant; you have a pretty big reputation at the Police Department”

 

“I believe that” Lexa replied

 

“But Raven also said that they were lucky to have you in 56” Wick said looking to the girl beside her who rolled her eyes but smiled at the same time

 

“I like you” Lexa joked with a nod looking towards the office

 

“Can I talk to you quickly?” Clarke asked turning towards her girlfriend

 

It caught her off guard.

 

She wasn’t sure what exactly Clarke wanted to talk about and she couldn’t read her expression as to whether it was good or bad but she just nodded, standing once more in front of the couch.

 

Lexa saw Raven give Clarke a strange look and she also saw Clarke wave her off briefly as she tugged the Lieutenant into her room.

 

“Is everything okay?” Lexa asked

 

“You have to go” Clarke said quickly

 

“I have to go?” Lexa asked with a confused shake of her head “You want me to go home? Did I do something wrong?”

 

“No, you have to go to Seattle” Clarke said

 

Lexa bit the inside her cheek gently, taking in Clarke’s expression as she tried to figure what exactly this was about.

 

Clarke’s face was strong but she could see right through her blue eyes as gave away the sadness that she felt in the situation.

 

“Clarke” Lexa rasped

 

“You have done so many good things for everyone in 56 and so many great things for this Fire Department that it’s time you do something that is best for you” Clarke said shakily

 

“What’s brought this on?”

 

“I was going to tell you that you shouldn’t go” Clarke replied as she shut her eyes tightly “I was going to tell you to stay because I needed you to stay in 56”

 

“You can still tell me that” Lexa said shaking her head

 

“Raven was right, we are lucky to have you but I have no right asking you to stay when you have this amazing opportunity just inches from your grasp” Clarke said opening her eyes once more but when Lexa saw her eyes again, they were glassy “I can’t be the one who tells you to stay when you are needed to go somewhere else and you are meant to go build what I know will be a legacy as Chief at that Firehouse is Seattle”  
 

“Well first of all, you can tell me to stay” Lexa nodded as she reached out to take Clarke’s hand “And if you want me to stay then I will stay”

 

“Lexa I don’t know if this is really appropriate to say right now but I _love_ you” Clarke said very deliberately “And when you love someone, you just want the best for them and sometimes maybe that isn’t the best for you but I’m not going to be the one to stop you from taking this when you so rightly deserve to have it”

 

Lexa blinked.

 

She could only blink as she processed the words Clarke had such passionately spoken.

 

There was a fire in Clarke’s heart and Lexa knew it was burning for her.

 

“I love you too” Lexa said confidently

 

“I know you want to go and do this. You would be pretty foolish to not want to take this opportunity, this challenge and run with it” Clarke replied with a small smile on her face from the Lieutenant’s reply “You are the right person for the job so you should go to Seattle and if that’s what you want then you should do it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise”

 

“If I do” Lexa swallowed thickly as she paused “Let’s say I do take this, what happens with us?”

 

“Well I’m willing to let you go to Seattle but I’m not willing to lose you” Clarke replied quickly “If that’s what you want too”

 

“I don’t think I could lose you” Lexa responded just as swiftly

 

“The distance is a lot but I could always ask for a transfer somewhere closer or whatever but we could make it work until we find a permanent solution” Clarke shrugged “I mean we have passed every other test that has been thrown at us so far”

 

“I asked if you could get transferred with me but that didn’t exactly work” Lexa chuckled quietly “If this is too much for us Clarke then I will say no. I won’t even blink when I say no”

 

“I just think that for once, you need to do something purely for yourself and you need to do what you want to do” Clarke said “You have sacrificed a lot for everyone in 56 so maybe it’s time you did something for yourself”

 

“Do you think everyone would forgive me if I went?”

 

“There would be nothing to forgive” Clarke said with a sympathetic smile “Life happens and people leave to do other things. You’d be sorely missed but of course everyone would understand, this is the biggest opportunity you have ever been given”

 

“I just feel so selfish if I take it” Lexa shook her head as she glanced down at her feet for a moment

 

“Maybe you have to be selfish” Clarke said simply “Maybe you have to be selfish in this situation, Lexa. All I’m saying is that this decision needs to come from you, not from anyone else. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, nothing will change between you and I. We’ll figure it out”

 

“Thank you” Lexa mumbled “I understand just how _selfless_ you are being right now in saying this”

 

“Obviously I want you with me but maybe right now, you are needed more somewhere else” Clarke said, her tone just above a whisper “You really do have the chance to go and do something truly remarkable at the age of only 26. If you think you want to take this challenge on, then you do that”

 

“I guess I have a lot to think about, huh?” Lexa asked

 

“But you still have time” Clarke replied “It’s only Friday”

 

“Thank you for telling me all of this, for speaking your mind” Lexa said placing her hands on Clarke’s hips, her grip firm on the other girl

 

“I just know that if our roles were reversed, you would be saying the exact same thing to me” Clarke nodded with her eyebrows creased in thought “And you’d probably find more words to say than what I could”

 

“I don’t think anyone could” Lexa replied “You have said more than enough”

 

“You okay to go back out there?” Clarke asked “I probably shouldn’t leave Raven out there”

 

“Yeah” Lexa nodded as her eyes locked on Clarke’s lips

 

Lexa swiftly moved to steal a kiss from Clarke, it wasn’t chaste but it was brief before she pulled Clarke into a tight hug.

 

She wrapped her arms around Clarke’s shoulders as she felt arms grip at the material on the back of her shirt.

 

Lexa sighed into the warm skin of Clarke’s neck, placing a gently kiss on the spot where her face rested.

 

They stayed in their embrace for a few minutes, just standing there together wordlessly.

 

Clarke soon lead the Lieutenant back out to the lounge room where they sat down to watch the movie once more.

 

Lexa wrapped her arm around Clarke’s shoulders so she could snuggle into the brunette’s side and pulled the blanket over their legs

 

“Everything okay?” Raven asked raising her eyebrows as she looked at the couple sitting across from her

 

“Everything’s fine” Clarke uttered with a small nod

 

Lexa’s heart broke knowing how brave Clarke was trying to be with the whole situation.

 

Trying to make Lexa understand that it is okay if she wanted to leave to pursue what would be a huge opportunity.

 

\---

 

Lexa looked up to the white ceiling in Clarke’s room for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

 

Clarke’s white sheet was the only thing separating Lexa’s bare body from the cool of the night.

 

She felt bad for the tired girl next to her because Lexa had been tossing and turning for a while, resigned to the fact that she wasn’t going to get much sleep because her brain couldn’t stop ticking.

 

Usually she slept like a baby in that bed.

 

She didn’t know if it was because Clarke’s bed was extremely comfortable or the fact that Clarke was in it next to her but it was rare that she couldn’t sleep in that room.

 

“You are thinking so hard that I can practically hear you think right now” She heard Clarke say in the dark, feeling Clarke’s skin press against her own as she roll to her side in order to face Lexa “What do you need to talk about?”

 

“I’m just thinking about the whole Seattle thing” Lexa whispered

 

“I know” Clarke responded as she reached out a hand to draw lines around Lexa’s toned stomach “So?”

 

“You don’t need to listen to me, go back to sleep” Lexa shook her head “All I’m going to do is repeat the same things I have been saying since I told you”

 

“Talk to me” Clarke replied quietly once more

 

Lexa sighed, looking over to Clarke to see the soft outline of her face but she swore she could still see the blueness in her eyes.

 

She swore she could see the brightness in Clarke’s eyes that was always there whenever she looked at the blonde.

 

“I don’t know anyone in Seattle”

 

“I know” Clarke nodded

 

“I don’t know how to live in Seattle” Lexa shrugged “I mean it probably doesn’t have a diner as good as mine”

 

“That’s just because it has emotional significance as well” Clarke reasoned “You said it to me yourself, you went there with your dad a lot”

 

“You wouldn’t be in Seattle” Lexa said simply but she couldn’t begin to explain the significance of that sentence

 

“No I wouldn’t but we would work something out” Clarke reminded her “We can do visits and eventually I’ll make my way there once I request a transfer in the future”

 

“I wouldn’t have as good of a crew in Seattle” Lexa shook her head quickly

 

“Well to be completely fair, you don’t know who you would have there” Clarke shook her head as well “And that’s because you helped build 56 around you to what it is today. You can build whatever you want out there”

 

“It’s on the other side of the country”

 

“Lexa, these are all good points but all of these are also pretty self-explanatory” Clarke replied with a sigh

 

“I keep thinking of everything that I have here and everything that is keeping me here” Lexa said “And every reason is such a great reason to stay; my crew are my family, _you_ most importantly are my family”

 

“I know that” Clarke rasped through the darkness

 

“So why in the back of my mind do I want to take this job so much?”

 

Silence.

 

Lexa waited for a moment as she felt Clarke shift slightly, to prop her head up on her hand as her forehead crinkled in thought.

 

“Because you know this is a huge opportunity for you” Clarke replied simply “Are you thinking you want to go?”

 

“Would you hate me if I was?”

 

“No” Clarke said quickly “I wouldn’t hate you at all but I’m not going to say that I wouldn’t be sad”

 

“I know” Lexa nodded “I don’t want to be the one making you sad, I never want to make you sad”

 

“You wouldn’t be making me sad, Lexa” Clarke said “I want this opportunity for you because you deserve it but I would just be sad about the situation. I moved away from home for a job opportunity and I know how tough it is but at the same time look how well that turned out for me”

 

“I hardly know anything about Seattle”

 

“You don’t need to know much right now, you’d find it all out as you go” Clarke reasoned

 

“Why are you being so objective?” Lexa asked “So fair?”

 

 “I want this decision to come from you because I don’t want you to regret it”

 

“Do I even know how to be Chief?” Lexa’s mind wavered once more

 

“You would be amazing” Clarke nodded

 

“If my dad were around to see this, he would be so proud” Lexa said after another moment of silence “And so would Gustus”

 

“They would be proud and everyone will be proud” Clarke replied “It’s not like it’s a small thing that is going on here. It’s not like you would be leaving to go and be a Lieutenant somewhere else”

 

“I want this” Lexa mumbled after a moment of processing her thoughts

 

“You want to go to Seattle?” Clarke asked as she tried to steady her voice as best as she could for Lexa’s sake

 

“No, I don’t want to go to Seattle. I don’t want to go to Seattle at all” Lexa replied “I don’t want to leave here or anyone here but I want to be Chief and I want to take on this challenge, I need to take this”

 

“I know you do” Clarke replied, exhaling sharply “This is going to be hard”

 

“I actually don’t know how I’m going to do this without you”

 

“You won’t be doing it without me, I’ll still be here” Clarke replied “You’ll just be in Seattle but I’m still going to support you and I’m really proud of you”

 

“This is terrifying” Lexa said honestly

 

“It is” Clarke agreed as she leaned up to kiss the brunette on the temple “But that’s okay”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a little terrified to post that. 
> 
> Don't hate me, as always I have a plan and this is definitely part of it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I say this all the time but you guys are all so brilliant! I love your comments and the effort you put into them, thank you so much! They really make my day :) 
> 
> So this is another monster chapter, I really am incapable now of smaller chapters. 
> 
> So happy reading and let me know what you think!

Lexa had a lot of time over that weekend to think about her move to Seattle.

 

She had way too much time to think about it in her opinion.

 

Because that’s all she did.

 

Though she knew now she was going to go, in the back of her mind she had contemplated her decision over and over again.

 

Clarke had continued to be a strong support for Lexa in this process, which the Lieutenant couldn’t thank her enough for even if she tried.

 

Clarke knew just how difficult it was going to be for Lexa so she wanted to try and help her as much as possible.

 

Lexa tried not to think about all the things she was going to have to do until the decision was formally made and the transfer papers were signed.

 

It was all too daunting for her to contemplate before things were official.

 

But there she was on that Monday morning sitting in the car park of Firehouse 56 knowing that she was going to have to tell Marcus, the Chief and possibly her crew of her decision that shift.

 

Her stomach churned as she looked at the entrance of the Firehouse.

 

The Firehouse she had called home for a long time, that she had helped build to what it was today.

 

She heard the passenger door open, turning to see Clarke now sitting next to her with her duffle bag in her lap.

 

“Are you going to actually come in today or just stay here?” Clarke asked as she closed the door softly, turning to face her girlfriend

 

“I’m thinking about working from my car today” Lexa replied with a nod

 

“So who are you going to tell first?” Clarke asked quietly

 

“I’ll call Commissioner Kane and then the Chief” Lexa shrugged “I think”

 

“What about everyone else?”

 

“I might ask the Chief what to do about that” Lexa replied “But I will try and tell them as soon as I can so you don’t have to keep this to yourself”

 

“Thank you” Clarke nodded “Maybe tonight you might get some more sleep after the decision is made”

 

“Yeah I’m starting to feel a little tired” Lexa said with a small smile turning to the blonde who had her eyes locked on her own “I’m not too sure how I’m going to get used to not being around you anymore”

 

“We won’t get used to it” Clarke shook her head, swallowing thickly as she reached out to take Lexa’s hand “You’re doing what’s best for you, don’t forget that”

 

“I know” Lexa replied quietly “Are you staying at my apartment tonight? I promise if I’m too disruptive I’ll sleep on the couch”

 

“No you won’t” Clarke laughed “It’s fine. I think Raven wants the apartment to herself anyway”

 

“Is Officer Quick coming over?” Lexa asked with a smirk

 

“If you keep saying that then I’m going to pick that up and call him that by accident” Clarke chuckled

 

“I need to keep calling him that then” Lexa grinned as she looked down to Clarke’s hand in her own “I guess I should go in and get this day over with”

  
“I know it sucks but try and be happy about this” Clarke said as she squeezed Lexa’s hand “This is really great for you, this is what you have worked for”

 

“I know and I know this is the best decision I can make but it doesn’t mean it’s not going to be difficult” Lexa replied

 

Suddenly there was a loud thud, shaking the car as Octavia almost threw herself onto the front of Lexa’s car.

 

The action startled Lexa at first before she raised her eyebrows, just watching her Squad member who was grinning at her through the windscreen.

 

“You hit me; can I have the day off?” Octavia’s voice was muffled on the outside of the car

 

“And strangely I will miss things like that” Lexa said as a chuckle broke through her cool demeanour

 

“Come on” Clarke said with a smile as she opened her door to get out of the car

 

\---

 

Lexa changed into her uniform inside the locker room, lacing up her boots tightly as Octavia walked out of the stalls with a pile of clothes in her hand.

 

“So are you two sharing a locker yet?” Octavia asked glancing to her Lieutenant before opening her own locker

 

“Sorry?” Lexa asked, cocking her eyebrow as her focus shifted to the younger girl

 

“Well you two pretty much are in each other’s pockets all the time” Octavia smirked

 

“Why would we share a locker?” Lexa asked shaking her head, taking her foot from the bench and standing straight

 

“I’m sure you guys are going to move in with each other soon so you might as well” Octavia shrugged with the still evident smirk on her face

 

“We aren’t going to move in with each other anytime soon” Lexa said honestly, the words hitting her harder than she thought they would

 

“I say give it another month and you’ll be all shacked up” Octavia replied as she shoved her clothes into her locker before closing it loudly and backing her way out of the locker room

 

Lexa felt her heart tear a little in her chest and her lungs weaken as a shaky breath left her body.

 

She swallowed the lump in her throat before making her way out to the common room to try and eat some breakfast before shift officially started.

 

Clarke was eating her toast silently; her eyes were firmly focussed on the empty hallway directly in front of her.

 

She was so distracted that she didn’t even notice Lexa’s presence until she sat down next to her, bringing her bowl of yogurt and fruit with her.

 

“Did you spot something down the hall there?” Lexa asked raising an eyebrow as she looked in the same direction but seeing nothing

 

“No” Clarke said shaking her head as she took another bite of her toast “Just thinking”

 

“About?”

 

“You know what I’m thinking about” Clarke murmured, moving her eyes to look directly at the table in front of her “I just wish it wasn’t so far away”

 

“Clarke, tell me to stay and I will stay” Lexa said firmly “I told you that”

 

“But I can’t” Clarke said quickly “I can’t be that person. What kind of a girlfriend would I be?”

 

“Probably reasonable” Lexa answered

 

“You said it yourself that you want this” Clarke said “And you should have the chance to prove to yourself that you can do this because I know you can”

 

Lexa didn’t respond, she just sighed deeply as she began to swirl her spoon around in the yogurt sitting on the table.

 

“Maybe I want you more” Lexa mumbled turning to look at Clarke

 

“You made the right decision for yourself already, Lexa” Clarke replied, her eyes shooting back to the empty hall to avoid looking at the Lieutenant “You can’t just go back and forth between a decision this big when there are other people involved too. You made your decision so stick with it”

 

“I told you that you were in each other’s pockets” Octavia announced as she walked in the room to go into the kitchen

 

Lexa’s eyes stayed focussed on Clarke who was avoiding looking at her at all costs because Clarke’s eyes were giving away everything she really felt.

 

Lexa knew just how selfless Clarke was being just so she didn’t feel so bad taking the opportunity but that’s what broke Lexa the most.

 

“Everything okay in here?” Octavia emerged out to the table, putting her cereal out in front of her

 

“Fine” Lexa and Clarke both replied at the same time

 

“Okay then” Octavia replied with wide eyes as she looked between the two before her eyes settled on her Lieutenant “So I was hoping, seeing as I have finished my truck training if I could drive today?”

 

“You want to drive the Squad truck?” Lexa asked quietly

 

“I do” Octavia grinned “I’m totally ready”

 

“Yes” Lexa said with a nod “Yes you can drive today”

 

“Awesome” Octavia grinned “I can’t wait to tell Lincoln”

 

“I’m going to go eat in my office” Lexa grumbled as she took her bowl and left the common room.

 

As she expected, her breakfast remained untouched because she was too busy staring at the phone she was fighting herself to pick up.

 

She knew she wanted to go; Lexa’s ambition was too high not to want to go.

 

But she also knew that what the Chief had said to her the day she was offered the promotion was right.

 

Operationally 56 could seamlessly move on without her whereas Firehouse 20 in Seattle needed her help.

 

She also knew what great of a challenge this would be for her and how much she wanted to prove to anyone that had doubted her or anyone who may doubt her in Seattle that they were very wrong.

 

Clarke was making the sacrifice for Lexa, knowing that she did have the power to make the Lieutenant stay but wasn’t using it.

 

If Clarke was brave enough to make that choice then Lexa had to be brave enough to do that choice justice.

 

Without a single other thought running through her mind, she picked up the phone and dialled Commissioner Marcus Kane.

 

She pushed the yogurt from her eyesight so the thought or look of food didn’t make her feel any further ill than she was already feeling.

 

“Commissioner Marcus Kane’s office, this is Maya”

 

“Maya it’s Lexa” The brunette said as she tried to steady her voice

 

“Well hey Lieutenant, I’ll send you straight through to Marcus”

 

“Thank you” Lexa croaked

 

“Good luck”

 

There was a silence on the other end of the line and then a dial tone.

 

It only rang twice before she heard the phone pick up

 

“Just the girl I wanted to hear from” Marcus said quickly “I have the Seattle Fire Department breathing down my neck for an answer”

 

“I’m sorry it took so long” Lexa replied

 

“No, it’s only Monday morning” Marcus answered “You had all day to tell me. So what’s your answer?”

 

Lexa’s heart pounded through her ears, she took a deep breath and opened her mouth to answer him.

 

She could easily change her mind and stay.

 

Lexa knew that the moment she was in at that very second could very well determine the course of the rest of her life.

 

“I want the job” Lexa replied, shutting her eyes tightly as the words left her mouth

 

She felt a weight being pushed from her shoulders; she had done what she needed.

 

She had gone with what had felt right for her.

 

And she knew she would have to deal with consequences but it felt good.

 

“Good choice Lieutenant” Marcus replied before he paused “Or should I say Chief”

 

“No, that will take a long time to get used to” Lexa answered quietly with a small smile on her face “I don’t think this will sink in for a while”

 

“It might not but you’re making a good decision for yourself” Commissioner Kane replied “How is Clarke?”

 

“She’s been amazing” Lexa sighed

 

“There is always the opportunity for a transfer somewhere in Seattle” Marcus reminded her

 

“We know”

 

“So here’s what we are going to do from here” Marcus said after a very brief pause “I want you to inform Chief Jaha of your decision then at the end of shift I want you to come to my office and sign your transfer papers. I’ll sign them for you so they can be submitted straight away. It will be a bit of a complicated process so if we want you in Seattle by the end of the month, we need to move now”

 

“Okay” Lexa replied simply as she tried to absorb the information

 

“Seattle FD will help you find a suitable apartment for you near the Firehouse and will probably fly you over there once before you start so you can see it and see the Firehouse itself. You’ll meet your new crew very quickly too” Marcus explained “We’ll start a handover soon as well with Indra once she is informed she will take over as Lieutenant of Squad at 56 but we can worry about all the smaller details later”

 

“So I’ll be in Seattle by the end of the month?”

 

“The sooner you start the better” Marcus said “So congratulations, I’m going to make a few calls and I’ll see you this afternoon to sign your transfer papers”

 

“Thank you Commissioner, I appreciate the opportunity” Lexa replied

 

She heard Marcus hang up on the other end of the line before she heard her office door open and almost slam shut.

 

Lexa knew it could only be Clarke.

 

She put the phone down and turned around to see a hostile looking Clarke, with her arms folded and a frown on her face.

 

“You can’t just do that” Clarke snapped as she took a step forward towards Lexa

 

“I can’t just do what?” Lexa asked shaking her head as she stood from her chair

 

“You can’t just tell me you’re going to go and you want the job but then tell me you want me instead” Clarke answered quickly “Don’t tell me to ask you to stay when you already know what you have decided, that isn’t fair on me”

 

“You’re right” Lexa said simply as she held her hands up defensively

 

“You can’t tell me stuff that might make me think you’ve changed your mind. I’m trying to be objective here and I’m trying to prepare myself for you to leave” Clarke said angrily “You can’t go back and forth”

 

“I just got off the phone from Marcus Kane and I took the job” Lexa said calmly “I’m going”

 

“You are?” Clarke asked as her arms fell to her side instantly

 

“Yeah, you’re right. I already knew what decision I was going to make but I just know how much I’m going to miss you” Lexa said “I was wrong before and I shouldn’t have asked you to tell me to stay”

 

“Congratulations” Clarke said as her expression softened immediately, taking one large stride into Lexa before wrapping her arms around her shoulders in a tight hug “I’m really proud of you”

 

“Thank you” Lexa mumbled as she pressed her face into Clarke’s shoulder, taking in the scent of her freshly washed ambulance shirt the blonde was wearing “I’m sorry”

 

“No I’m sorry for getting angry” Clarke said shaking her head “This has been a bit of a rollercoaster”

 

“And you have been beyond perfect” Lexa said pulling away from the hug so she could look Clarke in the eyes but keeping her arms firmly around the paramedic’s waist “I have to go and tell the Chief my decision”

 

“So what happens from here?” Clarke asked quietly

 

“I have to go and sign transfer papers this afternoon at the Commissioner’s office because they want me in Seattle by the end of the month”

 

“The end of this month?” Clarke asked, flinching slightly

 

“Yeah”

 

“That’s really soon” She furrowed her eyebrows “I guess I should have expected that”

 

“They’re going to find me an apartment and everything though so that will help me” Lexa said “And I’ll get to go see the apartment and the Firehouse before I start”

 

“So you’re Chief of Firehouse 20 in Seattle” Clarke said with a small smile “That is amazing, Lexa”

 

“I’m not Chief just yet” Lexa smiled before leaning forward slightly so she could kiss the blonde quickly “I love you and I promise I will make this all up to you”

 

“I love you too” Clarke replied as the smile stayed on the paramedic’s lips but Lexa noticed that it didn’t reach her eyes like her smiles usually did “You should probably go tell the Chief"

 

“Clarke” Lexa said as she moved her hands to cup both of Clarke’s cheeks, looking her directly in the eyes “Are you sure you are okay with this?”

 

“Lexa” Clarke warned

 

“No I know but I just want to know if you are actually okay with this”

 

“Of course I’m not going to like it, you’re moving across the other side of the country” Clarke said honestly “But I understand”

 

“We’ll work it out” Lexa said firmly “I will figure something out”

 

“I know we will” Clarke replied with a nod “Go”

 

Lexa nodded as well, kissing Clarke once more before letting go and approaching the Chief’s office.

 

“I take it you have an answer for me” Chief Jaha said looking directly to the door as soon as Lexa approached it

 

“Yes” Lexa said “I do”

 

“Come in” Chief Jaha replied

 

Lexa nodded, shutting the door gently until she heard it click before taking a seat in front of Chief Jaha.

 

“I took the job” Lexa said quickly “I’m going to Seattle”

 

“I’m surprised” Chief Jaha answered as he folded his arms “But I’m really happy for you and I’m proud”

 

“Thank you sir” Lexa nodded “I don’t think anything has sunk in yet”

 

“It might take a while but this is big for you” Chief Jaha replied “When do you start?”

 

“Well they want me there at the end of this month” Lexa said “So just over 3 weeks. I’m going to sign transfer papers this morning and I’m guessing I will know more soon”

 

“I think it’s best that we announce this with the crew today” Chief Jaha “I’m assuming Clarke knows so that will I’m sure make it less awkward for her”

 

“Yeah” Lexa nodded

 

“I think it’s best if you find Bellamy first and let him know” Chief Jaha replied “Once you do that, we’ll call a meeting now that shift has started and you can tell everyone then”

 

“How do you think they will take it?”

 

“I’m sure it will take some time for them to get used to the idea, especially your squad but they will be fine” Chief Jaha nodded “This is a big step in your career”

 

“It is” Lexa replied as Chief Jaha stood from his chair to hold his hand out in front of him

 

Lexa stood quickly, grasping his hand and shaking it firmly while a smile came over his face.

 

“You deserve this, congratulations Chief”

 

“Thank you” Lexa nodded

 

She left Chief Jaha’s office and walked out to the common room.

 

Everyone was either eating or playing cards around the table but it was just a regular Monday morning for everyone.

 

“Lieutenant, I hear that you think you can actually win a round” Lincoln called from the table with a smirk

 

“I know I can win a round” Lexa mumbled as she looked around the room “Where is Lieutenant Blake?”

 

“Out checking the Engine” Octavia answered “But seriously, have you never won a round of cards in here?”

 

“I’ll win one when I come back” Lexa said as she glanced to Clarke who had the smallest of smiles on her face looking to her

 

Lexa returned the smile before making her way out to find Bellamy with a checklist as he looked at the back of the engine.

 

“So as soon as I am off review, you start checking Engine?” Lexa smirked as she stood next to her fellow Lieutenant

 

“Yeah, I figure it doesn’t matter now if we are purposely wrong with our reports” Bellamy replied jokingly “Another Monday, huh?”

 

“Your sister is driving my truck today” Lexa said glancing at Bellamy who laughed

 

“She is?”

 

“She asked to complete training so she completed it and now she wants to drive truck” Lexa nodded, placing her arms behind her so her hands could clasp together on her lower back

 

“Octavia just wants to prove herself” Bellamy replied “She just wants to prove that she can do what everyone else can do”

 

“And so she should” Lexa answered “Your sister is a fantastic Fire Fighter”

 

“Well she is a Blake” Bellamy smirked

 

“And I know you were surprised when she came to squad but she definitely belongs here” Lexa nodded

 

“Well she wasn’t much of a squad member until you got to her” Bellamy admitted “I’ll only tell you this once but before she came to you I knew she was too erratic and impulsive to be safe”

 

“But that’s why we train” Lexa shrugged “You and I weren’t perfect after we graduated from the academy”

 

“Well I wasn’t” Bellamy joked “You’re a robot; I don’t think I’ve seen you make a mistake”

 

“I make them all the time” Lexa replied “I just correct them quickly”

 

“So not that I’m not enjoying this chat but why did you come out here to see me when everyone else is inside?”

 

“I wanted to tell you first before I tell everyone else” Lexa began

 

“You’re pregnant” Bellamy raised his eyebrows

 

“Two things there; how on earth would I be pregnant?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrows “And just because I am female, when I have to tell you something you think I’m having a baby?”

 

“I have no idea” Bellamy replied 

 

“What I came to tell you is that I’m leaving 56 and I’m moving to Seattle” Lexa responded quickly

 

“I believe the pregnancy story more”

 

“I’ve been offered position as Chief of Firehouse 20 in Seattle” Lexa said with a nod “That’s why I was on review”

 

“Are you serious?” Bellamy asked raising is eyebrows once more

 

“I wouldn’t joke about this” Lexa shook her head “And I’m about to go and tell everyone the same thing”

 

“Wow” Bellamy replied “When did this happen?”

 

“Only a few days ago” Lexa answered “I only just confirmed with Commissioner Kane that I was going to take the job”

 

“Congratulations” Bellamy smiled “That’s absolutely huge”

 

“Thank you” Lexa replied “It’s all sudden but I figured I had the opportunity so I might as well take it”

 

“I agree” Bellamy nodded “Looks like we’re going out celebrating after shift tonight then. How’d Clarke take it?”

 

“Clarke’s the one who convinced me to go” Lexa said honestly “The luckiest day of my life was when she walked in here”

 

“I knew you two would end up together” Bellamy smirked, crossing his arms with his clipboard still in his hand

 

“You were flirting with her every chance you got when she first came here” Lexa said as she nudged Bellamy before she began walking towards the Firehouse entrance “I need you to come in when I tell everyone”

 

“Now?”

 

“That would be preferable” Lexa replied without halting

 

Her heart pounded as she stopped at the front of the common room, watching everyone being completely wrapped up in their game of cards.

 

She had made the hard decisions, she had made it all but official though this was the one thing she was dreading the most.

 

She was scared to let anyone in her Firehouse down, which was something she wasn’t used to.

 

“Can I please have everyone’s attention?” Lexa asked in an uncharacteristically quiet tone, her arms still firmly behind her back

 

Clarke’s attention caught immediately as she saw her girlfriend at the front of the room but she was the only one who turned.

 

“The Lieutenant needs your attention” Chief Jaha said firmly as he entered the room, which caused everyone to pause what they were in the middle of doing

 

“I promise this won’t take up too much of your time” Lexa said with a nod “I just wanted to share something with you all and I hope everyone doesn’t feel too letdown”

 

“Come on Lieutenant” The Chief replied behind her quietly “Just get it over with”

 

“Right” Lexa said with furrowed eyebrows

 

**_Firehouse 56 Rescue Squad 2 Engine 21 Ambulance 1 Apartment Complex Fire 512 Riverside Crescent_ **

 

Lexa’s announcement was going to have to wait because she was still Lieutenant of Firehouse 56’s Rescue Squad 2 and they had a job to do.

 

Lexa was the first to move and everyone followed on their way to their vehicles.

 

Octavia proudly rushed to the driver’s seat, buckling herself up as she waited for Engine Crew to leave first.

 

The Rescue Truck stalled as they began to move, falling silent as the engine failed.

 

“Oops” Octavia uttered as she started the engine again, a satisfied smile on her face as she sped out of the Firehouse

 

“So what was your announcement?” Lincoln asked “Sitting in the backseat is strange”

 

“Get used to it” Octavia chimed

 

“I’ll tell everyone when we are back from this call” Lexa shook her head as she focussed on the road in front of her “It isn’t that big of a deal”

 

Lexa had to give Octavia credit; she got them there in record time without any issues.

 

Which was exactly what they needed because the scene that they arrived at was almost like a war zone.

 

Lexa saw the black smoke from just a block away from the Firehouse when they left so she knew straight away this wouldn’t be as simple as they all may have thought when they were called out.

 

The old 5 story apartment complex was engulfed in flames already and the slight breeze wasn’t helping at all.

 

This was going to be a test for all of them.

 

Lexa let Bellamy focus on his own team, knowing he would have to try and start securing the fire so it didn’t spread to any neighbouring buildings as well as trying to contain the rest of it.

 

Officer Echo rushed to Lexa as she put her helmet on and grabbed her oxygen mask, knowing she was going to have to go inside.

 

“We have a suspected drug lab in the basement that started this” Echo said “Most people are accounted for but there are a few people still, including an elderly man who lives on the third floor whose wife made it out, that are still in there”

 

“Thank you”

 

Lexa rushed back to her squad that were getting themselves ready and awaiting her instruction.

 

“The fire was caused by a suspected drug lab in the basement; it’s an old building as you can tell by the intensity of that smoke. We need to sweep all 5 floors if we can; we have reports of an elderly man on the third floor so I am going to go there with Lincoln. Indra you and Octavia are going to move the truck ladder to the top floor and work your way down from the roof. Once you have cleared the 4th floor, go up the way you came if you can” Lexa said very quickly “This building isn’t in good shape, if you think you need to get out then go. When I tell you to leave the building, I expect you to do what I say”

 

Without another word she grabbed an axe from the side of the truck and marched her way towards the front of the apartment complex. She could already see the fire inside and could already feel the intense heat radiating from the building.

 

She turned briefly to see Clarke and Raven attending to an elderly lady who was sitting on the sidewalk outside of the building, taking her a safe distance away before they could treat her.

 

Further paramedic and engine crews began to arrive at the scene and Bellamy’s team was about to enter the building behind them to try and contain the area around the basement to prevent any possible explosions.

 

The smoke was thick and black, making it very difficult to see the other side of the building already.

 

They swept the ground floor of the complex but couldn’t find anyone or any signs of life around the area.

 

“Lieutenant!” Lincoln called as he pushed through a fire exit door towards a set of stairs

 

Lexa nodded as she followed him and they began their assent up to the second floor.

 

The Lieutenant knew that an explosion was imminent in the drug lab in the basement so it was literally a ticking time bomb.

 

Thankfully though, she also knew that a lot of people who might have lived in the building should have been at work on that time of a Monday morning.

 

Thankfully this didn’t happen on the weekend.  

 

The fire exit door was jammed on the second floor so Lexa made the quick decision to continue moving to the third floor.

 

She heard the roar of the fire ripping through the floor as they pushed open the fire exit door where she hoped she would find the elderly man still alive.

 

“Check every room” Lexa yelled to Lincoln as she began busting down a door that was locked

 

They swept the rooms quickly and efficiently.

 

The problem was they couldn’t find anyone on the third floor where this elderly man was supposed to be.

 

Lexa pushed through the kitchen of an apartment with Lincoln closely behind her, searching high and low until she spotted something.

 

She spotted a set of slippers by the end of the couch and as she inched closer she saw the old man on the floor, lying face down.

 

“Lincoln” Lexa called as she signalled for him to move ahead and grab him

 

He picked the elderly man up and they began to move out.

 

Between the time they entered and that moment, the entrance to that apartment they had come through was now completely engulfed.

 

She knew they had to get out of there before the fire exits soon too became engulfed and they were trapped inside.

 

The Lieutenant held her axe steady as she lined it up against a spot in the wall that she knew was adjacent to the hallway. 

 

The building was _very_ old.

 

Which wasn’t helping them with the rate it was burning but it did mean that the drywall would be thin and it would crumble.

 

So without another thought she brought the axe to the drywall and she was right.

 

It cut through the wall like a hot knife would butter and after only 5 or 6 hard swings, she had created a hole bit enough for them to exit through.

 

Lexa had never moved through a fire so fast in her life, thankfully the fire exits were by some miracle still relatively clear so they were able get out of the building.

 

She ripped her oxygen mask from her face, her skin tingling with sensation of a breeze and fresh air hitting her.

 

Lincoln ran the elderly man directly to the paramedics but as soon as Lexa emerged she noticed that Clarke wasn’t with Raven by Ambulance 1.

 

She quickly looked around and she couldn’t find Clarke in the immediate area and felt a slight panic set in.

 

That was until she saw her helping to carry a middle aged woman with Finn over to another stretcher.

 

She almost had time to sigh in relief when she heard a loud explosion through the building, causing her to flinch quickly as a wall of heat pushed its way towards them.

 

A fresh cloud of black smoke and flames filled the air and Lexa looked around once more because she noticed that Indra and Octavia were still inside.

 

They were still sweeping the top floors. 

 

“Indra what’s your position?” Lexa radioed through to her Squad member

 

Her radio was only met with silence and that’s when the usually calm Lexa began to panic.

 

“Indra, answer me” Lexa radioed once more as she looked to the complex anxiously

 

“I’m exiting now with a head trauma victim” She heard Indra respond “Octavia has moved to sweep the third floor”

 

“The third floor was where we swept” Lexa replied quickly “Why is she going third floor?”

 

“She thought she heard yelling” Indra replied as Lexa spotted her moving out to the ladder “The top two floors are clear but I can’t go back until this victim is out”

  
“No we’ll go” Lexa replied looking to Lincoln who just nodded “Bring a rope, we might need it after that explosion,. I’m not too confident in the structure holding up completely inside”

 

“Lieutenant, you can’t go back in there” Bellamy yelled as he rushed over to pull her back by the jacket

 

“Octavia is inside still” Lexa said as she yanked herself away from Bellamy and she watched the colour drain from his face

 

She didn’t need to say anything further so they moved to the front of the building.

 

The front entrance had been blocked though in that last explosion so Lexa quickly signalled for Lincoln to enter through a broken window.

 

She followed quickly as they jumped through the window that was streaming with black, thick, toxic smoke.

 

Lexa landed steadily on her feet and she realized just how much harder this was going to be in order to get to the third floor after that explosion.

 

There was a small fire in the fire exit stairs but Lexa knew that if they could push through, they could get to Octavia.

 

So they did.

 

They reached the third floor and as soon as Lexa moved through the hole in the wall she could hear the loud beeping of Octavia’s movement alarm.

 

She could hear her heart rate pick up, if that were even possible because she began having flashbacks of what happened with Gustus.

 

She never wanted to hear that sound again in her life.

 

She wasn’t going to let that take over her and she wasn’t about to lose another squad member.

 

As they moved around the room looking for Octavia she spotted the hole in the middle of the room where the old man had been laying only minutes earlier.

 

Lexa crawled to the side of the gap in the floor, hearing the floor creak beneath her as she spotted Octavia under a small pile of rubble but her alarm was sounding which meant she hadn’t moved for at least a minute.

 

“I’ll go” Lincoln said from behind Lexa as he shifted to move

 

As he moved though Lexa heard a loud, echoing crack and she felt the floor beneath her shift.

 

The wooden floor around her crumbled and she found herself falling down towards the second floor right next to her squad member.

 

Lexa heard a distinct pop as she landed and instantly felt an immobilising pain in her right shoulder.

 

Not only that but she also felt a crack in that same arm as she held it in front of her instinctively to break her fall.

 

She gasped loudly as pain took over her body, becoming fully aware that she had just dislocated her shoulder and had most likely broken her arm as well now to deal with.

 

“Lieutenant!” Lincoln screamed from above her

 

Lexa could hardly hear him between the deafening roar of the fire and the thud of her heart.

 

She looked up towards the ceiling, seeing just how engulfed the rest of the building was.

 

They had only been in there for a few minutes’ tops but Lexa knew it took less than that for the whole building to be condemned.

 

Lexa pulled herself up slowly, holding her arm to her body as she moved to her squad member.

 

She cleared Octavia very quickly of debris with her left arm, rolling her over to check her pulse and her breathing.

 

She was alive.

 

She was alive, her pulse was still strong and her breathing steady.

 

Her mask was cracked but otherwise, externally at least she looked okay

 

“I’ll come down and get you” Lincoln called

 

“It’s the second floor, the door is jammed” Lexa yelled as she looked around her before looking back up towards her squad member “Lower your rope, I’ll attach her and pull her up”

 

It took Lincoln only seconds before he lowered the rope down towards her.

 

With her right arm still held close to her body in pain, she began to attach the rope as best as she could to Octavia.

 

Fastening it around her waist and clipping it onto her belt.

 

Once she was secured, Lincoln began to pull the lifeless rescue squad member up towards him and all Lexa could do was support her neck until she could no longer reach her seeing as her right arm was rendered useless.

 

Lexa watched Octavia slowly ascend slowly to the third floor and into Lincoln’s arms, a sigh of relief hit the Lieutenant.

 

“I’ll lower the rope down for you” Lincoln yelled loudly

 

“Get Octavia out of the building before the rest of that floor collapses. The Fire exit won’t be passable within a few seconds so you need to go and you know you need to go now” Lexa yelled as she bent down to pick up her axe that fell with her in her left hand “I’ll find a way out from here”

 

“The door is jammed!” Lincoln replied

 

“That wasn’t a suggestion that was a direct order” Lexa called loudly as she heard yet another creak above her “Go!”

 

“I’m coming back” Lincoln yelled as he gently pulled Octavia over his shoulder and rushed from Lexa’s sight

 

She was alone.

 

That was what she wanted.

 

Lexa made the choice to send Lincoln and Octavia away because she knew very well it would only be minutes until either there was another explosion or the building collapsed.

 

Or it was highly likely that both could happen.

 

She made the choice to make sure that no matter what happened; her team were out safely because a leader always did what was best for their people.

 

And she loved those people more than her life itself.

 

The heat and the smoke was almost becoming too much, everything around her was on fire and she could see no clear path out of the second floor.

 

The fire exit door was jammed and even if she wanted to go out there, it was blocked by burning debris.

 

Lexa heard a loud crack above her as a large portion of roof tiles came collapsing above her and she jumped to avoid them as they fell directly towards her.

 

Lexa wasn’t sure what happened next but she heard another loud eruption, she heard the groan of the building as the floor again shifted under her and she fell once more.

 

She didn’t know what happened exactly but she fell for what felt like eternity and she blacked out for only a second.

 

When she came to a moment later she only felt extreme pain.

 

She heard more crashing around her as further debris fell beside her and she was almost just waiting for the entire building to collapse on top of her.

 

But it didn’t.

 

Somehow, it didn’t.

 

As her ears rung loudly as she painfully lifted her head up to look around her and she realised where she was.

 

She had landed up in the basement.

 

She’d fallen through 2 floors.

 

Her shoulder and arm radiated unexplainable pain and she knew her helmet was the only thing that had saved her from a severe head injury.

 

It took her a moment to gather her thoughts, to try and piece together what had just happened and to shake the cobwebs from her head. 

 

The Lieutenant was okay with the fact that she fell from the second floor because at least she could find an exit that way.

 

She wasn’t okay with the fact though that she was in the basement, where all of the explosions were coming from when they happened.

 

All she could see was smoke and fire but she knew she had to try and either find a way out or needed to move to a corner of the room at the very least so the whole building wouldn’t collapse on top of her. 

 

Lexa pulled debris from her body using her left arm as quickly as she could manage; her right arm was hanging uselessly by her side as her shoulder was still completely out of place.

 

Today was supposed to be a milestone day for her.

 

Today was supposed to be the day where she went to sign transfer papers to start a new chapter in her life, to lead an entire Firehouse.

 

Instead there she was, trying to free herself in the basement of a would-be drug lab that was possibly going to cost her the ultimate price.

 

She managed to free herself, shaking her legs of a few more smouldering planks and she looked around, pausing to see a crack of light coming from the side of the basement that was furthest from her.

 

What she saw was the basement door that lead up to ground outside and that lead to safety.

 

Lexa pushed herself towards the crack of light desperately, struggling to crawl through a very small, clear path over to the little set of stairs leading upwards to the outside.

 

Lexa almost screamed in pain as she pulled herself up the first few steps, trying to push the door open with only her left hand.

 

The door shifted, light streaming through into the otherwise fire filled, black smoke infested basement.

 

She pushed further, seeing the bright blue, smoke tainted sky staring back at her but she soon noticed the metal chain that was wrapped around the handles of the door from the outside, preventing her from pushing any further.

 

She was trapped.

 

She looked to see her radio was broken on her side and she wasn’t surprised given the damage she had taken.

 

But she had hoped she would have been wrong so she could communicate to someone.

 

Though Lexa knew how lucky she was to actually still be alive for that moment after all she had been through.

 

Lexa’s heart dropped into her stomach as she hit against the door loudly, hoping that someone from the outside would hear her.

 

The Lieutenant knew by all accounts that the 56 Squad should have cleared the building by now, knowing it was too risky for someone to enter at that late stage.

 

It was practically on the point of collapse.

 

As she looked out through the faint crack of salvation her thoughts turned directly to Clarke as she saw another glimpse of the blue sky.

 

She didn’t know whether Clarke was still outside watching what was going on and waiting or whether she had already moved a victim to hospital.

 

It had only taken a few short minutes for this whole scenario to play out so she knew there was a very high likelihood Clarke was still there.

 

But she hoped she wasn’t.

 

Lexa knew though that the crew of 56 were probably trying to move heaven and earth to get to her but she didn’t want them to risk their lives just for her own.

 

Lexa made the conscious decision to get Octavia and Lincoln out before she knew it was too late.

 

She wanted them to understand the harsh reality of the situation.

 

The situation that was; one dead is better than many.

 

Lexa grimaced as she swallowed thickly; the smoke was slowly seeping through a crack in her own oxygen mask that had stopped working after her fall.

 

It was keeping the smoke out of her face for that moment though so she was going to keep it on for as long as she could.

 

She thought back to what Clarke would go through if she was gone.

 

To what her mother would go through if she was gone after already losing her father to his job.

 

Lexa was proud though.

 

If that was how she was going to die then she was proud because she would die ensuring the safety of her crew.

 

She didn’t want to die obviously but it was looking increasingly likely by the second.

 

Usually Lexa had some luck, she had gone through some lucky escapes in her career but for some reason everything in this particular rescue went wrong.

 

Lexa thumped on the door loudly once more, shaking the chain that trapped her from the outside.

 

She thought to Gustus, silently apologising to him for ending up in a similar situation to what he went through.

 

Feeling as if her death would cause his to mean nothing if he saved her life only for her to end up falling to the same circumstances years later. 

 

The Lieutenant turned around to face the basement, her back up against the door as she sat on the stairs and held her arm tightly to her body.

 

Her oxygen mask was now useless and was only causing her to breathe more carbon dioxide so she ripped it from her face, her eyes burning as soon as the black smoke touched them.

 

Coughing hoarsely, she leaned her head back against the door, covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve hoping that whatever was going to happen next happened quickly.

 

That was when she blacked out.

 

Lexa heard shouting as she could see bright light from under her closed eyelids and she heard the whistle of smoke rush past her.

 

She felt multiple hands grab the back of her jacket and the shouting continued before she felt herself being picked up and moved quickly.

 

She had never felt such pain in her life as her arm fell beside her, she heard muscles tearing and stretching from her already out of place shoulder but she couldn’t move her body to react.

 

Lexa even heard her name being called but she was powerless to reply and that’s when everything fell silent again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how I said trust me? Please trust me still :P 
> 
> Let me know what you think and I will try to have an update soon :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You don't even want to know what time it is here! 
> 
> I have done the very first section of this chapter from Clarke's POV simply for the fact that I thought it could be interesting!
> 
> Let me know what you think!

It had only been 1 minute since Lexa had stormed back into the burning apartment with Lincoln.

 

Clarke had no idea why they went back into the apartment so quickly after an explosion erupted through the building; she didn’t know why they would go back in there at all.

 

She knew that they obviously went in there for a purpose but she had no idea what that purpose was.

 

That was until Indra brought down another victim on her own to one of the other ambulances waiting.

 

Octavia was missing.

 

Something was wrong.

 

Clarke had been busy tending to a middle-aged woman who had been found around the back of the building, having escaped from her apartment on the first floor.

 

Once she was put into an ambulance and rushed to hospital after being cleared of anything to serious, Clarke had a moment to look around and take in what was going on around her.

 

The paramedic had seen a lot of unspeakable accidents; she had seen horrific acts of violence but what she saw her was like a war zone.

 

The smell of the smoke was so strong that it made her eyes water and burn as soon as they arrived.

 

The fire was so hot that it prickled at her skin even as she stood well away from the apartment block where the ambulance was parked.

 

Smoke bellowed from the old apartment block that her girlfriend had just rushed back into, flames growing in size by the second.

 

In such Lexa style she had just jumped through a window like it was nothing, entering the condemned building and out of sight instantly.

 

That was when she heard a loud boom come from inside the apartment building and her stomach dropped.

 

Lexa, Octavia and Lincoln were all still inside.

 

Clarke felt helpless.

 

She had done everything she could, having treated and sent any victim that had come out of the building to hospital.

 

Now the only ones that they knew of in the apartment building were members of her own Firehouse.

 

Her girlfriend.

 

Clarke saw Bellamy, Jasper and Monty making their way back to their Engine quickly as they pulled their equipment behind them.

 

“What’s going on?” Clarke asked, running to meet them at Engine 21

 

“The structure is collapsing” Bellamy replied looking back to the building “Another explosion and it’ll just crumble”

 

“So why have you stopped?” Clarke asked

 

“We can’t do anything for it but secure the buildings next to it” Bellamy shook his head as he took his helmet off

 

“But there are still 3 people in there” Clarke replied urgently

 

“Lieutenant!” Jasper called pointing to the very window Lexa and Lincoln had jumped through a few short minutes ago

 

Everyone paused for a moment as Lincoln re-emerged from the window, stumbling as his feet hit the ground with Octavia cradled against his chest in his arms.

 

Clarke froze in her place, knowing she needed to get to Octavia as Indra rushed to help Lincoln carry the Squad member but her feet wouldn’t move.

 

Lexa wasn’t with them.

 

She waited for her to burst out of that same window for a few seconds bravely, maybe carrying someone else they had found over her shoulder.

 

But she didn’t.

 

She wasn’t behind Lincoln.

 

Clarke snapped out of it knowing that Octavia needed her help bug her mind was firmly stuck inside the building where Lexa was.

 

Wherever she may have been.

 

She didn’t know whether _her_ Lieutenant in more than one sense, was alive or whether she was dead.

 

Raven had reached Octavia first as Lincoln gently laid her down by the grass on the other side of the street, a safe distance from the chaos that was happening across the road.

 

Raven pulled the cracked oxygen mask from Octavia leaning down to check her breathing.

 

Clarke kneeled next to Octavia on the ground, checking the girl for a pulse and feeling a small sense of relief as she felt the strong thud of blood pumping through her veins.

 

The paramedic heard the young squad member gasp loudly for air as her eyes shot open and before Clarke could say anything, Raven had already given Octavia oxygen to breathe.

 

She was concussed, she would be out of action for a few days but her helmet and oxygen mask had taken the brunt of whatever had happened to her.

 

They put a neck brace on her for precaution and she would need to go to the hospital for a few tests but Clarke knew she had escaped from this relatively unscathed.

 

Octavia was going to be fine.

 

Octavia gave a tired thumbs up with a grimace on her face to Raven as she asked her some questions, acknowledging that she knew she was okay and out of the building.

 

Suddenly an almighty series of bangs came from the apartment building, a fresh cloud of smoke and fire erupting from the very centre complex, which caused Clarke’s world freeze once more.

 

Tiles from the outside of the roof fell inside the building as it looked like it was falling apart from the inside out.

 

Her mouth went completely dry as the calmness from her body completely disappeared and she felt a sickness rise up to the back of her throat.

 

Lexa.

 

She stood quickly from her knees and took a step towards the burning building but she felt a strong arm around her waist stopping her from moving.

 

Looking back she found Indra holding her in place, shaking her head as she could only watch on in horror at what was unfolding in front of her.

 

“Let go” Clarke growled but Indra’s grip didn’t falter “We have to go in there and find her”

 

“It’s about to collapse, the whole thing” Indra said quietly “No one can go back in there”

 

She saw Lincoln run towards the house, pushing past anyone who tried to stop him.

 

He had to stop though because the window he had only just come through was now completely blocked and there was no other way for him to get into the building.

 

He shielded his face with his arm as another flame erupted out of the building and he looked around helplessly.

 

Clarke shook her head; unshed tears in her eyes stung worse than the smoke and her body began to shake.

 

The woman that she loved with in that burning building in front of her and all she could do was watch.

 

She was a paramedic in charge who had just helped at least half a dozen people but she couldn’t do anything to save the one person that had come to mean the most to her.

 

She was trapped.

 

And Clarke felt trapped with her.

 

“Over here!” She heard Finn scream at the top of his lungs from the side of the building “Bolt cutters! We need bolt cutters! She’s in here!”

 

What Clarke saw next was something she would never forget.

 

Every single member of 56, herself included, that could move began running as fast as they possibly could from the other side of the street towards Finn as he knelt down next to doors, that Clarke could only assume lead down to the basement.

 

They ran as fast as their legs could carry them, without fear of a further explosion or the building completely collapsing because one of their own needed them.

 

Lexa needed them.

 

She couldn’t feel her legs as she ran and she felt as if she was moving in slow motion before Bellamy rushed towards the door, cutting the chain as quickly as he could and opening the two wide doors up.

 

An eruption of thick black smoke paired with almost unbearable heat tore out of the building and it took them only a second to see something on the stairs leading up towards the doors.

 

There she was.

 

The Lieutenant had her back towards the door as she slumped forward on the stairs, completely motionless.

 

Finn was the first to grab a handful of her jacket before everyone else instinctively reached out to pull her from the basement.

 

The first thing Clarke noticed was Lexa wasn’t wearing her oxygen mask anymore and she had blood coming from a gash just above her eyebrow.

 

Clarke coughed as the smoke filled her lungs, she didn’t know how long Lexa had been breathing it in but she hoped it hadn’t been too long.

 

Clarke felt one of her unshed tears hit her cheek, she was immediately relieved as the Engine and Squad members pulled her body completely from the basement and began to rush her towards Ambulance 1.

 

Raven was ready with the stretcher and Octavia was sitting up, clearing the way for Firehouse 56 to put her down so they could get her to hospital.

 

Clarke knew now that is was up to her to get Lexa to the hospital in a good condition so she was stable by the time she got to the E.R.

 

Now she wasn’t so helpless.

 

\---

 

Lexa felt warm.

 

It wasn’t like the burning sensation she felt when she had been in that apartment fire.

 

She just felt a comfortable warmth.

 

Lexa wasn’t sure what happened or whether she was dead or alive because the last thing she remembered was passing out in the basement of that burning apartment building.

 

She didn’t know whether she had actually been freed or whether she had imagined the fact that someone found her and now she was actually dead.

 

Had those doors actually opened? Or did she imagine that someone found her as she died inside that building?

 

Her eyes shifted behind her eyelids as the feeling of a dull pain began to radiate through her body, focussed mainly on her right arm and shoulder.

 

That dull pain began to slowly increase to something more intense as memories of what had just happened began to flood back.

 

She opened her eyes briefly in the ambulance, hearing Clarke tell her that she was okay and that she was safe.

 

She remembered looking down at her jagged right arm, seeing the bones poking at her skin in multiple places.

 

Feeling Clarke reset her shoulder and remembering the cry of pain that left her mouth when it happened.

 

Hearing the apology that came from the paramedic once it was done and hearing the urgency in her tone as she was unloaded from the back of the ambulance.

 

As the pain increased throughout her body, Lexa became aware of loud, incessant beeping in her ears.

 

Her lips felt cracked and parched, her throat and mouth were extremely dry to the point where it was very painful.

 

She could feel her own chest rise and fall slowly and her heart beat slowly but steadily in her chest.

 

She was alive at least.

 

Whatever she remembered was not a trick or some kind of a dream; somehow she had escaped that apartment block with her life.

 

Lexa should have been dead.

 

She knew that she should have been dead but somehow, she was not.

 

The Lieutenant tried to open her eyes slowly; they stung as she tried to move her eyelids.

 

Lexa knew it was pretty stupid of her to have taken off her oxygen mask and that she was paying for it but it wasn’t helping her at the time, it was causing more harm than good to her.

 

And she thought she would be dead anyway.

 

After a few tries, her eyes opened completely and she took in the dim hospital room surrounding her.

 

The room was dark but the small lamp in the corner of the room made her head ache like she was staring directly into the sun.

 

She blinked a few tears away, her still dry eyes reacting to the initial sting of air hitting them.

 

She noticed her right arm was in a cast from her hand up to her elbow and her arm was in a sling, most likely due to her shoulder.

 

Lexa swallowed thickly but she felt fire in her throat, it felt like she was trying to swallow sandpaper.

 

The Lieutenant looked to her left to try and see if there was any water near her but she noticed something instead.

 

Or she noticed someone rather.

 

“Clarke” Lexa rasped weakly, her throat feeling like it could fall out right then and there as she spoke

 

There she was, still in her paramedic’s uniform curled up uncomfortably on the small chair by her bed.

 

Her head rested on her arm and her legs were tucked up to her chest but somehow she was asleep.

 

“Clarke” Lexa croaked once more, her chest aching as she spoke once more

 

It worked though because Clarke stirred in her chair, blinking a few times before she realised that Lexa was awake.

 

Her eyes widened for a moment and she leaned over to press the call button for the doctors before reaching out to take Lexa’s left hand, a small smile on her face.

 

“You’re okay but you suffered some pretty nasty smoke inhalation so it might hurt to talk for a while” Clarke explained as she looked down to the Lieutenant before leaning down to place a lingering kiss on her forehead before quickly pouring her a glass of water and holding it up to Lexa’s lips “Drink this very slowly. I’m glad you’re awake”

 

Doctors came into the room, much to Lexa’s dismay and annoyance.

 

She knew they were doing their jobs but she never really liked going to the doctor and all she wanted to do was talk to Clarke.

 

They were asking her questions that she didn’t know the answer to, poking and prodding her, injecting her IV with something that was apparently going to help her and within a few moments it was just becoming too much for the Liuetenant.

 

But thankfully she could look to her left and see Clarke watching her intently; answering any questions that the doctors had which Lexa didn’t know the solution to.

 

Lexa felt herself fall in love with the paramedic all over again.

 

She couldn’t really pinpoint the moment when she fell in love with Clarke in the first place but if she wasn’t convinced that Clarke was _her_ person, she was at that moment.

 

After a whirlwind of complication, the doctors left Lexa alone once more much to her relief.

 

Closing her eyes tightly once more, she tried to swallow the dryness from her throat.

 

“You’re such a baby” Clarke chuckled jokingly, scooting her chair closer so she could be right next to her girlfriend’s bed “They were just trying to help”

 

“I have you for that” Lexa rasped with a slight shake of her head, taking Clarke’s hand once more as she moved her spare hand to run her fingers though a patch of Lexa’s hair

 

“I’m not a doctor” Clarke shook her head

 

“You sure?” Lexa asked, her throat catching on her words and a chest-rattling cough ripped through her body

 

“I told you not to talk too much” Clarke said sympathetically as she offered Lexa more water, who nodded in acceptance

 

“What’s the damage?” Lexa asked after Clarke had taken the cup from her lips once more

 

“Well you broke your arm in 3 places, it was pretty nasty so they had to put a metal plate and some screws in there. Your shoulder was reset but they didn’t need to operate on that and you’ve got about 6 stitches in your head so that’s why you’ve probably got a large headache” Clarke replied, gently squeezing Lexa’s hand “You suffered some pretty bad smoke inhalation so your eyes and chest might be sore for a little while but you’re okay. They gave you an x-ray on your chest and ran some blood tests to make sure you’re okay. From what I’ve heard, I’m lucky to have you here with me but no one knows what happened to you”

 

“I’ll tell you” Lexa nodded slowly

 

“It’s late, why don’t you sleep and we’ll see if you can talk a little more in the morning?”

 

“What time is it?” Lexa asked, her voice breaking in and out of her short sentence

 

“It’s 3am but it’s Wednesday morning”

 

“It’s not Monday still? Are you on shift?”

 

“No, I haven’t left since we brought you here” Clarke explained “Our rotation has been given until Saturday off but Chief has given me the option to have the whole week off to look after you”

 

“I’m fine” Lexa rasped roughly “You should go home, you must be tired”

 

“I’m not going anywhere” Clarke said firmly “Octavia stayed here until midnight when I sent her home but I’ll tell everyone you’re awake and they’ll be here by morning”

 

Octavia.

 

She was okay.

 

Lexa felt guilty for not even asking earlier how her squad member was doing.

 

“Sleep” Clarke said soothingly as she leaned over to kiss Lexa on the forehead once more “I’ll be here if you need”

 

It didn’t take Lexa long to get back to sleep, she had been out for a few days from what she was just told but her body clearly needed it.

 

When woke once more the room was much brighter than it was the first time she had opened her eyes.

 

Lexa looked beside her to see the chair that Clarke had been on when she first woke was empty.

 

She furrowed her eyebrows, picking up her head very slowly to look around the room only to find it completely empty.

 

“Oh thank god you’re awake” She heard the familiar voice from the doorway

 

She looked to find a glassy eyed Octavia, a smiley face balloon in her hand leaning against the doorway with Lincoln behind her.

 

“Thank god you are too” Lexa spoke quietly as a small smile appeared on her lips

 

“I’m fine, I was released yesterday” Octavia replied with a nod as she looked back to Lincoln before they entered the room “They didn’t have much in the gift shop and I didn’t want to get you flowers so I got you a balloon”

 

“Thank you” Lexa replied as she rested her head back on the pillow

 

“Everyone’s out in the waiting room, we didn’t want to overwhelm you so we thought we would come in 2 at a time and keep you company” Octavia said as she let the balloon rise to the ceiling “Clarke just went home to shower, she’s been here since she transported you here so we all made her go home”

 

“Thank you” Lexa repeated

 

“Lincoln told me what you did for me” Octavia said as she stiffened her lower lip, holding back any kind of emotion that threatened to break through “He told me how you both came back for me and after you fell, you got him to lift me up and take me out of the building”

 

“The fire exit’s would have been blocked by the time I was pulled up, we’d all be dead. It didn’t make any sense”

 

“But you almost died because of me” Octavia shook her head

 

“I didn’t tell you sweep the third floor, that’s true” Lexa said firmly “You disobeyed my direct orders but I understood you thought you heard yelling so I don’t blame you for trying to be a good squad member”

 

“I’m really sorry”

 

“I’m alive, it’s fine. You were doing what you thought was right and we chose to go in there after you, I wasn’t about to leave you in there” Lexa shook her head “Maybe you just have a little more to learn than I thought”

 

Octavia nodded, her eyes falling to the floor as she sat down next to her Lieutenant’s bed.

 

“What happened in there?” Lincoln asked as placed his hand on Octavia’s shoulder gently from behind her “How did you get to the basement?”

 

“I got there the same way I got to Octavia” Lexa replied shaking her head “Is the Chief out there?”

 

“He was but he had to go back to the Firehouse” Lincoln replied “Commissioner Kane was even out there as well until he had to go back to his office”

 

Commissioner Kane.

 

It was Wednesday.

 

She was supposed to sign her transfer papers on Monday the shift that she didn’t get to finish.

 

“He spoke to Clarke but I have no idea what he was saying” Lincoln shook his head

 

“I’ll have to ask her” Lexa said quietly, but she knew just exactly what he would have been talking to her about

 

\---

 

Lexa was released on Friday afternoon from the hospital, she had agreed to stay at Clarke’s for a few days just until her pain subsided and she didn’t feel so useless.

 

Lexa didn’t want to be a burden on Clarke; she didn’t want the other girl to have to look after her when she knew she was capable of doing almost everything herself.

 

She hadn’t spoken much to Clarke about the actual apartment fire, she wanted to talk to Clarke when they were alone and other people had surrounded them constantly ever since she had woken up.

 

“Now I’ve already gone to your apartment and gotten you the list of stuff you said you might need” Clarke began as she struggled with the key to her apartment door with Lexa’s hospital duffle bag in her other hand “But I got you more than just clothes and a toothbrush”

 

“That’s all I need” Lexa shrugged “Maybe toothpaste”

 

“Well if you need anything else we can always go back” Clarke replied, pushing the door open with a shove

 

Clarke paused in the doorway and Lexa raised her eyebrow as she stood on her toes to look over the paramedics shoulder at the couch.

 

She smirked as Raven scrambled from beneath Wick, straightening her shirt and clearing her throat before grabbing an A4 piece of paper that said ‘Welcome Lieutenant’

 

“I literally just sent you a text to say we were here” Clarke shook her head as she stepped inside the apartment

 

“I was distracted” Raven said glaring at Clarke before looking to Lexa “Hello Lieutenant, how are you feeling since I saw you yesterday?”

 

“Well pretty much the same but I have less of a headache” Lexa replied with a smirk as she looked to Wick and then to Clarke who was watching her “I just want to say thank you for letting me stay here for the next few days. I won’t be in your hair long”

 

“Stay as long as you like” Raven waved her off “I mean you practically lived here anyway before the whole apartment fire”

 

“Are you returning to shift tomorrow?” Lexa asked

 

“Yeah, I think everyone is but Clarke and Octavia from what I’ve heard” Raven said before she paused “And of course you. Do you know how long you are out for?”

 

“I’m going to go in on Monday and talk to the Chief, he won’t let me come in any earlier” Lexa replied with a small shake of the head

 

“Monday’s probably even too soon” Raven said honestly

 

“If I have too much time off it will drive me crazy” Lexa mumbled hoarsely, her voice still raspy from smoke inhalation “Plus I have a few…projects up in the air right now”

 

“Whatever it is, it can wait” Raven shrugged

 

\---

 

It was 3:48am and Lexa was awake, _again_.

 

Lexa felt the sleeping blonde shift next to her in bed.

 

Her breathing was steady, quiet and even and her body was still as she peacefully slumbered deep into the evening.

 

Clarke was the only thing that was keeping her calm enough for her brain not to explode into a million little pieces.

 

The love she felt for that woman was unexplainable and something that she didn’t know was achievable.

 

Lexa had thought she had been in love once but it seemed like a playground romance compared to the deep level of understanding, passion and companionship she felt with the girl beside her.

 

She had taken for granted all of those nights they had spent together in that very same bed.

 

Her eyebrows creased as she remembered their official first date weeks into their relationship and the first time they had been truly intimate with each other.

 

Lexa had never felt anything like it in her life.

 

Whatever she had just gone through to escape out of that apartment building alive was worth it just to be next to Clarke at least one more time.

 

The experience though had really brought home just how difficult it would be for her to be apart from the one person who made feel whole.

 

She knew it sounded cliché but she didn’t even know she wasn’t whole until she met Clarke, immediately noticing that maybe there _was_ something missing in her life.

 

Maybe she had been missing that last piece she had been looking for without even knowing it.

 

It made her realise just how far away Seattle was.

 

That was if Seattle was even still on the table for her.

 

Her body was aching, her shoulder still giving her a lot of trouble and it didn’t help that she was extremely irritated with having to keep it in a sling for the next few weeks.

 

Lexa could put up with the physical pain; it was the inconvenience that was going to bother her in the immediate future.

 

She had been through this before when Gustus died.

 

The world would keep turning, everyone was going to go back to their shifts and have to deal with new calls.

 

But Lexa would be stuck in the same place until she was cleared to go back to work, which is what scared her the most.

 

She didn’t want to be stuck in that space again.

 

She didn’t want to have weeks to think about everything that had happened, that had gone wrong and what she could have done to change things.

 

She didn’t want to feel useless and most of all; she didn’t want people to feel sorry for her.

 

The Lieutenant was proud of her actions, she knew things would have been much worse if Lincoln stayed to try and get her out instead of leaving with Octavia straight away.

 

She didn’t need anyone to feel sorry for her.

 

She was just worried that this was going to change things.

 

Lexa wasn’t stupid by any accounts, especially when it came to her job.

 

Firehouse 56 had been involved in 2 catastrophic structure fires throughout her career there, both instances occurring when she was Lieutenant.

 

It actually wasn’t a bad record considering what they went through on a daily basis but she knew it still didn’t look good.

 

The first instance with Gustus, she had made an error in judgement that she thought cost Gustus his life.

 

The most recent instance, she had done everything she could have to get her people out alive and that decision almost made her pay the ultimate price.

 

The hard fact though was that this was the second structure fire that she had been involved in and had only just escaped with her life.

 

She was going to have to be evaluated once more before she was reinstated back into her job, both physically and mentally.

 

It had to be noticeable to the Commission; it had to be noticeable to the Seattle Fire Department who had only just agreed to take her on as Chief in Firehouse 20.

 

Of course nothing was official because Lexa never actually signed the transfer papers that she had talked herself into accepting.

 

She didn’t know whether she would have the opportunity now.

 

The brunette groaned outwardly, bringing her good hand up to rest gently on her forehead where she had just gotten stitches removed.

 

“You okay?” She heard Clarke ask through the darkness, hearing the sheets shift beneath her as the blonde snuggled into Lexa’s unharmed side

 

“I’m okay, go back to sleep” Lexa hushed soothingly

 

“I don’t even need to see you to know that’s a lie” Clarke replied after a moment of silence “You can talk to me”

 

“I know I can” Lexa replied as she dipped her head to kiss Clarke on the forehead, her soft skin was smooth under her still dry lips “But you need to sleep”

 

“So do you” Clarke answered

 

“Yeah but I’m not the one who has been living and sleeping on a chair for the past 5 days” Lexa responded “I’m okay, go back to sleep” 

 

“I chose to sleep on the chair”

 

Lexa felt the bed shift once more and saw the outline Clarke’s face move closer to her own, feeling the blonde’s soft lips press lightly against her cheek.

 

Clarke’s blinds were closed, making it difficult for Lexa to see in the dark but she knew the paramedic’s wide, blue eyes were looking right through her like they always did and she was powerless against them.

 

“I should be dead” Lexa finally broke her silence as she kept her gaze firmly at the darkness in front of her “I should by all accounts be dead right now”

 

“Obviously you’re wrong because you aren’t” Clarke replied, an undertone of anger in her voice “I don’t want to hear you say that again”

 

“How did I survive though?” Lexa asked shaking her head “How on this earth did I survive that?”

 

“Lexa, I don’t even know what actually happened in there”

 

“After Lincoln took Octavia out I didn’t really even have a chance to look for an exit from the second floor when the roof kind of collapsed on top of me” Lexa recounted as she crinkled her eyebrows in thought “I don’t know how long I was on the ground for but I only had minimal debris on me so I cleared that from my body and I looked around for somewhere basically to hide and hope that an explosion happened or when the building collapsed, it just happened quickly”

 

“You wanted to die?”

 

“ _No_ ” Lexa said firmly “I didn’t want to die at all but I thought I was going to. As soon as Lincoln left, I thought I was going to die and I had made the choice to make sure they got out of there no matter what. If I was going to die I wanted it to happen quickly. That’s when I saw the crack in the basement and realised it was a door. So I pulled myself over to the door and tried to open the door”

 

“As soon as they found you everyone but Octavia came running to try and get you out of there” Clarke whispered “And I’m sure even Octavia tried to get up”

 

“That’s what worries me the most”

 

“What does?” Clarke asked in a perplexed tone

 

“I could have gotten you all killed” Lexa muttered “Everyone was well aware just how volatile the situation was but they still risked their lives to get me out. The whole basement could have exploded in that moment”

 

“If that had been me in there, would you have done anything you could to help me?”

 

“I would have torn the doors of the hinges if I had to” Lexa replied seriously

 

“No one was going to stand around while you were fighting for your life down there and you know that” Clarke responded “I know I’m only new to the house but that’s just what we do”

 

“You’re well and truly a part of Firehouse 56” The Lieutenant nodded slowly as she exhaled deeply, feeling a scrape at the back of her throat “Do you think this changes anything with Seattle?”

 

“I think that depends on what you mean by that” Clarke admitted, pausing thoughtfully before she responded “I don’t think that the Seattle FD are going to rescind their offer to you because of this incident. You gave your official account to the Chief and honestly I think it only strengthens your case to be Chief, almost giving up your life so your two squad members could get out safely”

 

“But I’m injured and you know better than anyone that I’m going to be out of action for a little while” Lexa responded

 

“Being Chief though, you wouldn’t need to be out for nearly as long as if you were being a Lieutenant” Clarke replied “Physically anyway”

 

“What if I mean personally though as well?” Lexa asked

 

“Well obviously this is going to play on your mind a bit, but I don’t think anything has changed between when you made your decision and now” Clarke replied “You’re still in the same situation as you were before but you will just have a couple more things, being your injuries, to consider”

 

“I disagree”

 

“Okay?” Clarke responded “Care to tell me why?”

 

“I think everything has changed” Lexa answered “I just think I need to figure out where that leaves me and what I want to do”

 

“What’s changed though?” Clarke asked “You still want that job in Seattle”

 

“I do, I really do want it. This job is the biggest thing that has ever happened to me. It’s what I have worked for and what I want” Lexa replied “But I just have spent a very long time since Gustus died trying to convince myself that I don’t really need to attach myself to people because I was all that mattered. Which worked fine for me for quite some time but I was willing to put my life on the line for theirs. It made me realise that if I would do that for them, then could you imagine what I would do for you? Just to keep you?”

 

“Nothing has to change though” Clarke said truthfully “You moving isn’t going to change how I feel about you”

 

“You must hate when I sleep over” Lexa chuckled to herself, coughing lightly before she swallowed to try and tame the scratch in her throat

 

“Why?”

 

“Because apparently I do all my best talking late at night” Lexa said gruffly

 

“I thought you didn’t use sarcasm” Clarke retorted “I thought you used your wit and sharp, _sharp_ words”

 

“And you know how I feel about mockery” Lexa countered, the playfulness evident in her tone “You’re right though, if it were you inside that building I would have moved heaven and earth if I had to so I could get to you”

 

“That’s what I wanted to do for you” Clarke said quietly “And it wasn’t easy knowing you were still in there”

 

“I know it wouldn’t have been” Lexa nodded, her voice sobering immediately “And I know I put myself in that position but I had to go back in there. I’m responsible for my squad”

 

“I know” Clarke said in a voice that was just over a whisper before continuing “Nothing’s changed Lexa. I wanted to tell you this when you were feeling a little better but I saw Marcus in the hospital a few times before you woke. He wants you to recover more than anything but he told me your transfer papers will be waiting on his desk until you sign them. Nothing has changed”

 

\--- 

 

Lexa tried to get back to sleep but she knew that she wasn’t going to stay asleep for long even if she could.

 

When she slept, she saw fire or she saw Seattle and she wanted to give herself a break.

 

She wanted to think about something else, anything else to giver her mind a reprieve.

 

So, instead of keeping Clarke awake with her thoughts she decided to go out to the couch and see if she could find anything on TV that could briefly distract her.

 

Her whole right arm was pulsating pain but she couldn’t take anymore pain killers for another hour so she knew she would just have to deal with it until that point.

 

The dull flicker of the TV lit up the otherwise dark room as Lexa sat completely still with her left elbow resting on the arm of the couch, holding her head up as her eyes drooped.

 

As she sat at the end of the couch, she pulled a large blanket over her lap to keep herself warm in the cool room.

 

Lexa’s eyes closed for a moment, just for a moment, before she heard the door to Raven’s room open.

 

She looked behind her, the infomercial on TV illuminating two figures exiting the bedroom before the Lieutenant’s eyes completely adjusted to see Raven with a grin on her face as Wick walked out behind her pulling his shirt back over his body.

 

Lexa heard Raven laugh quietly before finally realising that the TV was on and her Lieutenant was sitting on the couch.

 

“Hey Lieutenant, you get kicked out?” Raven asked quietly as she continued to shuffle Wick towards the door of the apartment

 

“I kicked myself out” Lexa answered very quietly with a shake of her head

 

“Bye Lieutenant” Wick said with a grin

 

“Bye” Lexa offered with a raised eyebrow

 

Lexa looked away from the couple as Wick pulled Raven in for a goodbye kiss that lasted longer than it probably needed to.

 

It was too private of a moment for Lexa to want to witness. 

 

After hearing another obnoxious kiss Raven closed the door, a wide smile on her face as the Lieutenant glanced back to the paramedic as she rested her back against it.

 

“What did I just witness?” Lexa asked quietly

 

“He had to go home and get ready for his morning shift” Raven replied with a shrug as she pushed off the door to stroll her way over to the couch “What are you doing out here at 4:30 watching infomercials?” 

 

“I couldn’t sleep and I didn’t want to bother Clarke” Lexa replied with a shake of the head “She’s lost enough sleep”

 

“How’s your arm?” Raven asked taking a seat next to the other girl and bringing her knees up, hugging them to their chest before reaching over to take the remote controller from Lexa’s side

 

“Hurts” Lexa replied nonchalantly as her eyes turned back to the TV while Raven began flipping through different channels “We’re on afternoon shift today, right? I mean you all are”

 

“We are” Raven nodded

 

“You don’t need to stay out here if you want to go back to bed, I’m perfectly fine out here myself” Lexa said as she kept her gaze on the quickly changing channels

 

“I know you are” Raven quirked her eyebrow as she settled herself further into the couch after seemingly deciding on a suitable channel

 

“The deadliest catch?” Lexa questioned turning to the paramedic who grinned

 

“Can you put up with that?”

 

“I actually don’t mind this show” Lexa admitted before her attention moved back towards the flickering screen

 

Silenced washed over the two as the TV show played out in front of them, Lexa tugging tightly on the blanket over her lap as a dramatic event unfolded in front of her.

 

“I don’t know how these guys do it” Lexa muttered as she leaned her head back on the couch, bringing her thumb up to her mouth to nervously bite nervously at her nail for a moment

 

“You’re a Fire Fighter” Raven commented, the amusement more than evident in just her tone alone

 

“I know but I would have no idea what I was doing out there”

 

“And they would have no idea what to do in situations that you deal with” Raven shrugged “You know what you did was pretty bad ass, getting Octavia out of that apartment”

 

“Raven not that I don’t want to talk to you but can we talk about something else than the apartment fire?”

 

“Of course, sorry” Raven replied quietly “That’s probably all you have had to talk about for the last few days”

 

“And all I can think about” Lexa answered “And how I could have gotten you all killed”

 

“Wait, I missed that part” Raven said shaking her head “I know you don’t want to talk about it but what?”

 

Lexa sighed quietly, shifting the blanket to throw the edge of it over Raven’s legs before she responded.

 

“When everyone pulled me out of the basement, there could have been an explosion and you all could have died”

 

“No one even thought about that, all they thought about was getting you out” Raven waved her off with one hand, settling the blanket over her still curled up legs with the other “And if that’s what you are caught up about then you need to get over it because you are the one who literally ran into a burning building to get a squad member when you knew how bad the situation was”

 

“Did you talk to your boss like this in California too?”

 

“Well someone has to keep you in line here” Raven joked “And I need to get as many shots in as I can before you go to Seattle”

 

“I’m sorry?” Lexa’s eyes widened and darted towards the girl next to her

 

“You had to have known that Clarke was going to tell me, right?” Raven asked “I mean she needed to talk to _someone_ about it and we tell each other everything”

 

“Did she not think she could talk to me honestly?” Lexa flinched

 

“No, it’s not about you” Raven paused “I mean it is about you, this situation is all about you really but she knew with you she had to be objective so she kind of just talked it out with me so she could actually be fair with you”

 

“What did she say to you?”

 

“I really have already said too much and she’s actually going to kill me” Raven answered “So I think I’m going to have to leave it there”

 

“No, please” Lexa continued “I need to know what she really thinks”

 

“She told you what she really thinks” Raven shrugged “She thinks it’s a great opportunity and she wants you to go”

 

“But?”

 

“Of course she is going to miss you but I think most of all she’s just worried that you’re going to get to Seattle and think you made a mistake or something like that” Raven explained “Honestly, of course she will miss you but she just wants you to be making the right decision for you. She really is going to kill me but it’s a big move to make, you’re going to the other side of the country from a place you’ve lived in your whole life, she’s just worried”

 

“How did you handle moving across the country?” Lexa asked before completely turning back to the TV

 

“Well I didn’t have a girlfriend or a Firehouse full of people that loved me that I was leaving so it was easy for me” Raven answered and she paused thoughtfully “And just so you know, I still don’t have a girlfriend”

 

Lexa couldn’t help but laugh at the paramedic beside her, who she knew was just trying to make her laugh.

 

Which she appreciated beyond words.

 

“You went through a lot last Monday and you’ve been through a lot in 56 over the past few years” Raven began “Clarke and I went through a lot before we moved here and I think moving across the country was one of the best things we ever did. Maybe a fresh start for you could be a great thing right now. Maybe the timing could be wrong but at the same time, maybe the timing is perfect…Or something like that”

 

“I think I understand what you are getting at” Lexa replied with a small smile

 

“Good because I am tired and kind of zoning in and out of what I am saying but it makes sense in my head”

 

“So why are you two out here watching the deadliest catch at 4:30 in the morning?” Clarke asked from her doorway as she tied her hair up loosely into a bun that sat messily at the back of her head

 

“The Lieutenant is keeping me company” Raven replied with a shrug

 

“I wanted to try and let you sleep so I came out here to watch TV” Lexa shrugged as she shuffled towards Raven, creating space on the couch for her girlfriend

 

Clarke obliged after a moment, moving to sit next to Lexa on the end of the couch and wrapping her arm loosely around the Lieutenant’s waist as Lexa snuggled her unharmed side into the blonde.

 

Lexa held onto the material of Clarke’s shirt over her stomach tightly, gripping the light cotton with a tightly closed fist.

 

“Actually I was out here when Raven walked Wick out so she has been keeping me company and now we’re watching the deadliest catch” Lexa mumbled, nuzzling her head into Clarke’s shoulder

 

“Oh my god, I want to make a whipped sound but I’m still scared of you with a broken arm” Raven laughed

 

“Please don’t tell me you like this show too?” Clarke asked with a sleepy smile on her face “Raven sits here and watches it all the time mindlessly”

 

“I do like it” Lexa mumbled “And it’s better than the infomercials I was watching before”

 

Lexa was hurt, she was tired and she was pretty stressed trying to figure out what her future held.

 

But she was alive and for that moment, at 4:30am as she sat with the woman she loved and another girl she considered a friend, that was all that mattered to her.

 

Pain was pushed aside and decisions could be made later but she wasn’t going to allow the feeling that came over her as she was next to Clarke to be taken for granted again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the love last chapter! I was honestly scared everyone was going to hate it but I really appreciate how you all embraced it. 
> 
> I hope you liked this one as well, I love hearing from you all :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are all amazing! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the last chapter! Please let me know what you think about this one!

Lexa had spent most of Monday inside the Chief’s office at Firehouse 56.

 

It had only been a week so her injuries were still fresh and the whole incident was still burned into very front of her mind.

 

Chief Jaha thought it would be a good idea for her to come in and talk but also so she could give her official account of the incident.

 

Lexa shifted uncomfortably in the chair across from the Chief’s desk, her movement sending a wave of pain through her right side.

 

“Do you need anything?” Chief Jaha asked

 

“I’m fine thank you” Lexa grumbled politely

 

“You do know that Octavia has submitted a very different account to what you have?” Chief Jaha sighed as he folded his arms as he looked down at her squad members report “I don’t want to submit them both when there are such discrepancies, it isn’t a good look for the incident or her”

 

“What’s different?” Lexa questioned

 

“Well on your account you’ve said that you asked her to sweep the third floor, on her account she says she disobeyed your orders, taking initiative that was incorrect” Chief Jaha replied “I’m going to suggest that one of you changes your story before these reports are submitted”

 

“I’m Lieutenant” Lexa responded “My word should have more weight than Octavia’s report”

 

“Go and talk to her” the Chief sighed “Come back when you both have a similar report”

 

“Wait, Chief I need to talk to you about Seattle” Lexa said shaking her head

 

“Lieutenant you have been out of hospital for all of 3 days” Chief Jaha shook his head “I think we can wait until you’re a little more healed”

 

“No I can’t wait though” Lexa shook her head “Because until I figure out what is happening, I wont be able to think about anything else”

 

“Marcus Kane is out of the state until tomorrow” Chief Jaha replied “He has those papers ready on his desk so if you wanted to sign them, they would be ready for you to go in if you want to tomorrow but I really think you should just wait for the dust to settle”

 

“I should tell everyone” Lexa said with a furrowed brow “Seeing as I’m going to sign those papers tomorrow”

 

“If that’s what you want to do right away” Chief Jaha nodded “Just go into see Marcus tomorrow morning, he’ll have a better idea as to how they want to handle your injuries anyway”

 

“Thanks Chief” Lexa nodded, pausing for a moment before she stood and made her way out to the common room

 

She stood at the front of the room relatively unnoticed while everyone was busy serving themselves lunch.

 

Lexa smiled to herself as she watched her crew interact with one another, she smiled as she watch Clarke joke with Lincoln about something she didn’t quite catch but she was enjoying it all the same.

 

Lexa was proud of the people in front of her, knowing that she would have quite simply been dead if it weren’t for their teamwork and bravery.

 

She knew this was going to be harder than she thought.  

 

“Lieutenant, I heard a rumour you were here” Octavia said as she appeared next to Lexa, folding her arms to her chest

 

“You heard right” Lexa mumbled “I was just here talking to the Chief”

 

“You really should be at home resting” Octavia replied “You know, seeing as your arm is going to be in a cast for a while and your shoulder is still healing”

 

“I’m going to go very soon” Lexa nodded as she looked out at the crew who were still in their own world “I just wanted to talk to everyone quickly but I might wait until lunch is finished”

 

“Everyone shut up and pay attention” Octavia shouted loudly

 

The crew of 56 quickly realised that Lexa was standing at the front of the room; looking nervously towards them, which was something they weren’t used to.

 

Lexa tugged on the hem of her shirt with her left hand before her eyes caught themselves on Clarke’s who gave her an encouraging nod and sympathetic smile.

 

The Lieutenant swallowed back a tickle in her throat, the irritation caused from the smoke inhalation that still hovered over her.

 

“I won’t hold up lunch for too long” Lexa muttered, pausing to try and firm up her voice “First of all I just wanted to thank everyone for what you did for me last week, I wouldn’t be here if you all hadn’t gotten me out of that basement”

 

Everyone was completely silent as they watched Lexa glance down to her shoes, remembering just how difficult this had felt when she first attempted to bring this up with her Firehouse.

 

She almost waited for fate to intervene once more, waiting for a call out to interrupt her as a sign that this just wasn’t supposed to be, but that didn’t happen.

 

After a few moments of silence passed she returned her gaze to the crew in front of her who were watching her patiently.

 

“I’m not sure how to say this so I will just do it but my announcement last week was that I’m leaving Firehouse 56 to move to Seattle” Lexa declared quickly

 

No sound was made in the room as everyone glanced around towards each other.

 

Lexa rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly with her left hand, clearing her throat loudly before she could continue.

 

“I’ve been offered a position as Chief at Firehouse 20 in Seattle. I was on review so they could confirm me as their best candidate and I passed so I am moving to Seattle” Lexa explained “So I’m going to be signing transfer papers as early as tomorrow, I’ll be meeting with Commissioner Kane to discuss my new timeline considering my injuries”

 

“Is this a joke or is this serious?” Lincoln asked from the table before he looked to Clarke for her reaction

 

“This is completely legitimate” Lexa nodded “This was what I was going to tell you all last week. I wanted to be honest and upfront with you all before I sign anything”

 

“When are you leaving?” Octavia asked as she moved from beside her to sit down at the couch in the middle of the room

 

“Well my transfer was going to be for the end of this month but I don’t know now” Lexa said shaking her head “I should know that tomorrow”

 

“I think it’s great” Raven broke the silence “I think it’s a big opportunity for you”

 

“Thank you” Lexa nodded

 

“So you’re leaving?” Indra asked with a frown “What’s going to happen with the rest of us? Or does that not matter anymore?”

 

“That’s something that will be discussed over the coming days, a plan to keep this Firehouse moving is being made” Lexa confirmed “I’m only one person so Firehouse 56 will be fine without me, you all know what you’re doing without me. This injury just forces you to start working that out earlier than we thought”

 

“I guess that decision was already made without us knowing too” Indra replied

 

“I think what Indra is saying is that you’re a big part of this Firehouse” Bellamy interjected “And we’ll miss you but we understand this is a big opportunity for you”

 

“Not really what I was saying” Indra growled

 

“You can all go back to your lunch” Lexa said as she glanced to Indra who was staring a hole in the table in front of her

 

Lexa gave the room one last look before she ducked her head, not able to watch her squad’s reaction any longer so she made her way out to the garage.

 

She rubbed her eyes with her left hand and sighed loudly.

 

Indra reacted like she thought she would but it didn’t make it any easier for Lexa to see.

 

Lexa knew that a few of them would need a while to come around to the idea; it was just that they had all been together for so long and had been through so much.

 

She just hoped that they would understand that it wasn’t that she wanted to leave them, it was just she felt as if this was the next step in her career.

 

“You’re not leaving because of the fire last week, are you?” Octavia asked as she stormed into the garage “Because if you are, that’s just stupid”

 

“Octavia, I told everyone that I was going to announce this before the fire last week” Lexa shook her head “I just need a moment to gather my thoughts if you don’t mind”

 

“I don’t know whether you know what this will do to this Firehouse” Octavia continued “But you underestimate just how much you mean to everyone here and I think you underestimate what they mean to you”

 

“I know exactly what you all mean to me” Lexa snapped at her squad member “I almost died to save you just last week. This isn’t easy for me Octavia but I think I need to do this”

 

“You think?”

 

“Yes” Lexa replied through gritted teeth without explaining further “And before you continue your rant, I need you to change your incident report from last week”

 

“Wait, why?” Octavia’s eyebrows rose quickly

 

“Because what you’ve written is going to get yourself in trouble” Lexa said “You’ve said that you disobeyed my orders and took initiative that ended up being incorrect. You need to change your statement to the fact that you listened to my orders when I asked you to sweep the third floor”

 

“But you didn’t”

 

“And I’m telling you right now I did” Lexa pressed

 

“I don’t understand” Octavia shook her head “You’re telling me to lie on my incident report”

 

“Do you realise how much trouble you could get in because you disobeyed my orders and I was injured?” Lexa asked taking a step towards the other girl “This will go to the Commission and any chance of you being promoted in the future will be affected. You could be suspended Octavia”

 

“Well then I deserve to be suspended because that’s what happened. You’ll be gone anyway” Octavia shrugged “What does it matter to you?”

 

“Just change your report. It’s for your own good” Lexa replied shaking her head “I’m not justifying the answer to that question when I almost died getting you out of a building”

 

\---

 

Lexa felt awful for the rest of the day.

 

She went back to Clarke’s apartment as soon as she could get out of 56 because she couldn’t look at anyone there.

 

She just felt as if she was getting in the way of people in her own Firehouse as she realised she’d worked her last shift in 56.

 

Lexa was surprised just how bad she felt telling everyone, especially her own squad, that she was leaving.

 

She knew she would feel bad but she didn’t know she would feel that bad.

 

There she was, sitting on Clarke’s bed while she stared at the wall as her brain played the reactions of her squad over and over in her mind.

 

“Honey, I’m home!” Lexa heard Raven call before she heard footsteps coming towards her and saw Clarke enter her room

 

“I didn’t know whether you would be here” Clarke said with a small smile as she kicked her shoes off before taking a seat on her bed next to the Lieutenant

 

“How was shift?”

 

“Fine” Clarke shrugged “I was pretty terrified that you’d be out trying to run or something”

 

“I can’t lift my arm above my head by myself” Lexa grumbled “I can’t do anything by myself”

 

“Okay, you need to remember just what you went through” Clarke said with a sigh as she shook her head

 

“Does everyone hate me now?” Lexa asked

 

“No Lexa” Clarke replied as she wrapped her arm around Lexa’s waist and pulled the brunette’s head onto her shoulder “No one could ever hate you, it was just a shock to them but they will come around”

 

“It’s probably a good thing that I can’t work anymore shifts in 56 until I’m transferred because Indra and Octavia reacted the worst”

 

“That’s because they look up to you and they are close to you” Clarke whispered as she placed a lingering kiss on Lexa’s hair “No one hates you, I promise you that”

 

“Sorry I just took off today” Lexa said with a sigh “I just felt like I was in the way when you guys were called out”

 

“No it’s okay” Clarke replied “What do you feel like doing tonight?”

 

“Crawl into a hole?”

 

“Bellamy was right, you are dramatic” Clarke laughed

 

“Clarke I don’t appreciate being mocked” Lexa shook her head but she couldn’t help but smile at the grin on her girlfriend’s face

 

“I’m sorry” Clarke chuckled before pressing her lips to Lexa’s gently and leaning her forehead against the Lieutenant’s once they broke from the kiss “No one hates you, it’s the opposite and you know that. No one wants to see you go but they understand that you need to do what is best for you”

 

“If you were anyone else, you would hate me too” Lexa mumbled “You should hate me”

 

“And why would I hate you?” Clarke asked seriously

 

“Because I’m just signing a contract and having to move over the other side of the country”

 

“You’re not doing it just because you feel like it” Clarke justified as she placed a chaste kiss on Lexa’s lips “You’re doing this because you want this and that’s okay”

  
“And I know you are worried about me” Lexa added as she pulled away just enough so she could look Clarke in the eyes

 

“I’m going to kill Raven” Clarke said with wide eyes

 

“She did say that” Lexa laughed “And please don’t, I appreciated her telling me. Which is why when I go see my apartment and the Firehouse, I want you to come with me. Maybe it’ll make you less worried and I’ll certainly feel more at ease having you with me”

 

“I would love that” Clarke replied with a small smile as she paused thoughtfully “I’ve never been in a long distance relationship before”

 

“Either have I” Lexa shook her head

 

“I know it’s going to be hard but I think that we’re strong enough to get through this. Just until I can get a transfer into Seattle”

 

“What about Raven though?” Lexa asked

 

“She’ll be fine” Clarke replied “I mean it probably wont happen for a little while but she has Wick and she’s made friends here too”

 

“But you’ve had to uproot your life once before” Lexa shook her head

 

“Yeah but you’re worth doing that again” Clarke said simply “Some things are worth making sacrifices for”

 

“You’re right” Lexa said with a small smile “I’ll make all of this up to you one day, for you being so amazing through this”

 

“Yes you sure will” Clarke joked “Have you been practising your signature with your left hand tomorrow?”

 

“It’s going to get a bit messy” Lexa nodded

 

She paused once more, noticing the look of absolute purity that were reflected in Clarke’s eyes as she looked at the Lieutenant and she couldn’t help but smile.

 

“Not everyone gets this, Clarke Griffin” Lexa said quietly

 

“I know” Clarke smiled softly at the Lieutenant next to her, shaking her head in bewilderment “See what happens when you do something for yourself? If you hadn’t done that in the first place, you would have never shown up at my apartment after my terrible date”

 

“Yes” Lexa said simply before capturing Clarke’s lips in a kiss once more, breathing slowly as she delicately moved her lips in sync as if any wrong move could break the other girl

 

“We should probably find out what Raven wants to do for dinner” Clarke mumbled against Lexa’s lips but didn’t break the kiss

 

Lexa just grunted in approval, bringing her left hand to the back of Clarke’s neck as the intensity of the kiss built as much as it could with Lexa’s arm broken and in a sling.

 

But for just a moment Lexa had forgotten all about her pain.

 

All she could focus on was her girlfriend

 

\---

 

It wasn’t the first time that Lexa had sat in the waiting room of Marcus Kane’s office but she had certainly hoped it would be the last.

 

Lexa watched Maya intently as she spoke lowly on the phone and typed furiously on her computer.

 

It seemed as if she was having a bit of a bad morning because she wasn’t her usual chirpy self.

  
Which Lexa was okay with because at 7am in the morning, she didn’t have the energy to put up with that herself.

 

She always struggled to get herself out of bed when she was with Clarke early in the morning.

 

Especially when Clarke was still sleeping peacefully when she left, keeping the bed warm in her absence.

 

Lexa woke up in pain; she had rolled over to her right side at some stage in the night and woke up in intense agony.

 

She’d be happy once her shoulder healed up and she didn’t have to be reminded of the apartment fire whenever she tried to do anything.

 

The Lieutenant was more nervous than she was willing to admit as she waited for Commissioner Kane to arrive at his office.

 

She wasn’t exactly sure why she was nervous; unlike the other times she was there she actually knew what she was meeting him for.

 

 She didn’t have to wait too long though because at 7:03am Marcus Kane appeared from the elevator with that charming smile on his face and a coffee in his hand.

 

He grinned at Lexa, gesturing her to follow him inside his office as Maya remained busy on the phone.

 

“I’m relieved to see you back on your feet, Lieutenant. Sorry I’m late” Marcus greeted as he sat down on his chair, holding his hand out to implore Lexa to take a seat across from his desk “If it were anyone else I’m sure they’d still be in hospital”

 

“It’s just a broken arm and a dislocated shoulder” Lexa replied as she gave a small shrug of her left shoulder “It’s not like I had to get it reconstructed or anything”

 

“How’s Octavia?”

 

“She’s fine” Lexa nodded “Back on duty”

 

“Good” Marcus replied as his smile faded “Everyone was very worried about you when you were transported to hospital”

 

“Well luckily I have an amazing squad and ambulance crew who looked after me” Lexa nodded with a sigh

 

“So we both know what we’re here for” Marcus’ smile returning to his face as he pulled the 6 contracts from a draw in his desk and slid them across the desk “So we have a transfer agreement here, which stipulates that you’ll be transferred to Seattle at the start of next month pending your health. I adjusted the agreement to give you an extra week to heal up but being Chief you won’t be out in the field like you are as Lieutenant. I have a new contract which has a well earned pay increase included and I also have a form for you to sign so the Seattle FD can start looking for an apartment on your behalf. Of course we have two copies of everything, one for you to keep and one for us”

 

“That’s a lot to sign” Lexa said with a small smile as she looked at everything in front of her

 

“With your left hand too” Marcus grinned as he leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together on his lap

 

“Clarke’s going to come out and see my apartment with me and the Firehouse” Lexa said as she flipped through her new contract, taking in the detail

 

“That’s a great idea” Marcus nodded as he watched her with keen eyes “She was a great pick up for 56, she and Reyes have really fit in by all accounts”

 

“They’re honestly the most well trained paramedics I have come across and that’s not bias or favour” Lexa replied “I would say that even if I wasn’t with Clarke”

 

“That doesn’t surprise me though, your team is incredible” Marcus nodded “Though it sounds like I’m going to have a bit of a task replacing you”

 

“What do you mean?” Lexa asked as she peered up from her contract

 

“Well Chief Jaha spoke to Indra yesterday after shift and she doesn’t want to be Lieutenant”

 

“What?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrows “I mean she’s just being stubborn”

 

“No I don’t think she wants to be Lieutenant on a permanent basis and I don’t think Octavia is ready yet” Marcus replied “I think that was made evident last Monday”

 

“I told her to go and sweep the third floor” Lexa said quickly

 

“Not according to her report that was submitted yesterday”

 

“Octavia” Lexa cursed with a shake of her head “So what are you going to do?”

 

“The obvious option now is Lincoln but I don’t know if he is Lieutenant material” Marcus shrugged “Though this isn’t really your issue and you shouldn’t let this be your issue”

 

“Did you read the part of my incident report that noted how everyone risked their lives to pull me from the basement even though that’s where the explosions were coming from?” Lexa asked furrowing her eyebrows “Anyone on that squad could fill my position”

 

“I did read that” Marcus nodded while he leaned forward to hand Lexa his pen “And I know that close bond with everyone in your house is what saved your life”

 

“Thank you” Lexa replied taking the pen, staring at it for a moment “I have no doubt that this pen is worth more than my car”

 

“It was a gift” Marcus chuckled “Maybe we can get you a pen like that for your going away present. You’ve proven yourself as a very valuable member of the DC FD but also Firehouse 56”

 

“Thanks” Lexa nodded as she looked towards her transfer papers “So you’re saying I could go back to work earlier as Chief?”

 

“You’re going to have to take a little time to get used to the change in your position” Marcus nodded “You’re going to be concentrating more on the operation of the Firehouse than the individual call outs. You’re probably going to want to go out with your Squad but this position is taking on a lot of responsibility”

 

“Yeah” Lexa nodded “Is there anyway I could kind of change that a little?”  


“How so?”

 

“I don’t know, be more involved in going out to calls?” Lexa asked

 

“That’s your Lieutenant’s job as you know” Marcus replied

 

“How much does this Firehouse really need me?” Lexa asked as she felt the weight of the pen in her hand increase by every passing moment

 

“They’re in desperate need for help” Commissioner Marcus answered

 

“I don’t know if I can sign these” Lexa said with a sigh, shutting her eyes tightly as she felt a surge of pain pulsate through her body

 

“Do you need to take a minute?” Marcus asked “You don’t think you can sign it left handed?”

 

“I mean I don’t think I can go to Seattle” Lexa admitted quietly as she looked over to the Commissioner “And I don’t want to let anyone down but I think the worst thing I could do right now is go and let my Firehouse down. Maybe Firehouse 20 needs help but someone else can fill that gap. If Indra doesn’t want to take over from me right now then Firehouse 56 still needs me”

 

“I don’t think you should base this decision on the fact that Indra doesn’t want to take over your role as Lieutenant” Marcus implored “You’d be able to be replaced”

 

“But I don’t think I could replace any one of them with the crew that I had in Seattle” Lexa replied honestly “I don’t know if it would be fair on them because all I’d be doing is comparing”

 

“Are you sure about this?”

 

“I know Seattle FD want me to build from the bottom up but I think the whole apartment fire incident has kind of showed me that maybe I’m not done building up 56” Lexa said “I know Octavia has what it takes to be a great leader one day but I think she needs the right person to push her, who knows how to challenge her and I think that’s me. I have a lot invested in these people who are my family and they have a lot invested in me which I guess I didn’t really realise until now”

 

“I can’t really argue with that” Marcus nodded “But you also need to remember what an opportunity this is for you personally. You know that this opportunity isn’t going to come up again, you’re basically going to get free reign to move the Firehouse in whatever direction you want”

 

“I know and I can’t thank you enough for thinking of me in this situation but I also don’t know if I’m ready to give up being a Lieutenant yet. I love knowing at the end of every shift that I directly went into a life or death situation and helped someone when they needed it the most” Lexa replied as the smile grew on her face “These people are my life and I love leading them day in, day out even when they make me want to bang my head against a wall. I know that this is huge and again, I appreciate it. I want to be Chief, I would love to be Chief at 20 but my need to save lives is greater than my ambition”

 

“So I guess we won’t be needing your contracts then” Commissioner Kane replied with a nod as he pulled the contracts towards him once more “It doesn’t really surprise me after that fire last week and seeing every single member of your Firehouse in the waiting room for you after you came out from surgery”

 

“I know that 56 could continue without me but I’m honestly lying to myself if I thought I could continue without 56, without the people in 56” Lexa conceded “So if you could send my apologies to Seattle Fire Department or if I can call someone to do that myself, I would appreciate it”

 

 “They’ll be very disappointed” Commissioner Kane said raising his eyebrows “But I commend you for it and I will be more than happy to keep you here”

 

“Thank you sir” Lexa said quietly “As soon as I am back to health I would like to return to Lieutenant”

 

“As soon as you are medically cleared” Kane nodded “I need to make some calls”

 

“Thank you again sir” Lexa replied with a nod before she stood, exiting Commissioner Kane’s office quickly

 

It wasn’t that she wanted to hurry because she thought she might regret it or change her mind.

 

She knew that what she had said to Commissioner Kane was what she really felt and what she thought she felt all along.

 

Lexa had every intention of going to Seattle, and she wanted to be Chief.

 

The Lieutenant realised though that it just wasn’t the right time.

 

The fire had definitely changed things for her and she realised just how much she truly cared for her squad in 56 and just what she would do for them when it was needed.

 

Although she was in pain and she was uncomfortable, she felt the weight on her shoulders completely disappear.

 

It was a big opportunity that she passed up, that fact was definitely not lost on her.

 

It was just that her Firehouse still needed her and she still needed them.

 

\---

 

She went back to Clarke’s apartment, thankfully Marcus Kane had organised for someone to transport her to and from the appointment seeing as she definitely couldn’t drive with just her one arm.

 

Lexa opened the apartment door with the key Clarke had given her for the time she was staying there but Lexa knew the paramedic had no intention of asking for it back.

 

The Liuetenant found her blonde paramedic sitting up in bed reading a book; a perplexed yet tired expression on her face as her eyes followed the words across the page.

 

Lexa smiled to herself before Clarke noticed her standing in her doorway.

 

“You weren’t gone long” Clarke said closing her book quickly and throwing it next to her “Is it lame that I’m reading a book on long distance dating tips? It’s totally lame, Raven was right”

 

“No, it’s not” Lexa laughed as she closed the door behind her and approached the bed to stand by the edge, taking the book from the covers that Clarke had only just put down “You really were reading a book about long distance relationships”

 

“A moment of weakness” Clarke groaned “So lame”

 

“Where did you even get this?”

 

“I might have bought it yesterday when we went to a call next to a book store” Clarke replied “So is everything settled, Chief? When do you start?”

 

“I don’t” Lexa shook her head “I mean I’m not”

 

“I don’t understand” Clarke paused, her breath visibly yet subtly catching in her throat

 

“I didn’t sign the papers” Lexa sighed as she held up the book “So I guess you wasted your money on this book”

 

“Wait” Clarke said as she quickly threw the covers from her body, scooting to the edge of the bed and tugging Lexa down next to her “What are you talking about? Why didn’t you sign the papers? This is a huge opportunity for you”

 

“I don’t think the timing was right and maybe it took that apartment fire to show me that” Lexa replied as she looked directly to her girlfriend, figuring she had the look in her eyes that Clarke always teased her about “Indra didn’t want to take over as Lieutenant and Octavia isn’t ready just yet. I couldn’t justify going to another Firehouse to fix it up when mine still needs my help. Plus I don’t think I’m ready to sit behind a desk more time in my week than actually going out to calls”

 

“So you’re staying?” Clarke asked as she looked back and forth between Lexa’s eyes, looking for any sign of regret or remorse “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

 

“You kept telling me to do what was best for me” Lexa nodded as she leaned forward to ghost her lips over Clarke’s, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips “So that’s what I did. You were completely right when you said that some things are worth making sacrifices for”

 

“Objectiveness aside, I’m really happy” Clarke admitted with a nod as she closed the small gap between their lips to kiss the brunette quickly

 

“Plus someone has to look after me when I almost get myself killed” Lexa shrugged

 

“Yeah, no more of that” Clarke shook her head as she leaned back to look the Lieutenant in the eyes “What did you say to Commissioner Kane?”

 

“I just said that even if 56 didn’t need me anymore, I needed you all” Lexa shrugged “And I know it was a huge opportunity, I understand what I passed up. Maybe I made a mistake but I just figure that I’m young and I have plenty of time to be Chief. Maybe this might extend my road to being Chief seeing as I turned this job down but this feels right. Plus I need to kick Octavia’s ass for disobeying my orders for the second time in a week”

 

“She was pretty angry when you left yesterday” Clarke nodded

 

“I believe in that girl and I think she really has what it takes” Lexa nodded “But as soon as I’m back she will be on bathrooms for the next month”

 

“What did she do?”

 

“She didn’t change her statement like I told her to and could get herself into some trouble. She’s just being stubborn”

 

“I wonder who her commanding officer is” Clarke rolled her eyes

 

“I just hope Indra will agree to take over until I can come back to work and I’ll just have to start again from there”

 

“You’re probably going to be out for 6 weeks at the minimum” Clarke said “Your arm is going to take the longest to heal”

 

“Which is going to drive me crazy” Lexa nodded “But I know I made the right decision”

 

“If you think you did then I agree” Clarke smiled

 

“I also don’t think I took into account just how difficult it was going to be to live across the other side of the country to you” Lexa admitted “I just found you, I don’t want to lose that”

 

“You wouldn’t have lost me” Clarke shook her head as she rested her forehead against the Lieutenant’s gently “I guess you are going to have to come back in today and tell everyone you aren’t actually leaving”

 

“Do you think anyone will believe that it was just a joke?”

 

“No” Clarke said simply with a scoff

 

“Why not?” Lexa asked

 

“You don’t joke” Clarke reasoned

 

“I do joke” Lexa said raising her eyebrows “I say some very funny things”

 

“Well…” Clarke asked tilting her head

 

“I guess I have some begging to do or something” Lexa sighed

 

“Or something, yeah” Clarke grinned “But I love you”

 

“I love you too even though you just said I’m not funny” Lexa grumbled before leaning in to peck Clarke on the lips “I’m going to make us breakfast”

 

“You’re going to take your pain killers and you’re going to rest” Clarke disagreed as she shook her head quickly

 

“I’m feeling good” Lexa nodded with a smile as she stood from the bed and walked towards the door “Almost like I wasn’t in a huge fire”

 

“Almost” Clarke shook her head with a smirk “That was a little funny”

 

Lexa shook her head as she feigned annoyance before opening the door and walking out to the kitchen where Raven was firing up a frying pan and mixing what looked like pancake batter.

 

“You’re cooking breakfast?” Lexa asked raising her eyebrows as she moved to the kitchen bench, leaning her hip against the edge for balance

 

“Remember, you are in my apartment so this is a no judging zone” Raven said gesturing to the space around her “But Wick just did an overnight shift and is coming here for breakfast”

 

“We have been here for months now and this is the second time I have seen you in the kitchen” Clarke interrupted as she walked to stand behind Lexa, looping her arms around the Lieutenant’s waist and resting her chin on her uninjured shoulder “For Wick so I feel like this is getting a little serious”

 

“No, you have seen me in this kitchen lots” Raven answered smartly as she turned the heat up on her pan “Just eating the food that you cooked”

 

“I don’t think you should have the heat on that high” Lexa warned shaking her head

 

“Well I woke up later than I planned and Wick is on his way over” Raven replied with a shrug as she looked to Lexa “I promised I would make breakfast. I _thought_ it would be cute until I realised that I actually had to cook. I should have just come and gotten you but I thought you were out at the Commissioners office”

 

“I was” Lexa shrugged lightly

 

“Did you sign your transfer papers?” Raven asked pouring a heap of batter into the pan in front of her “Do I need to call you Chief? When do you leave? Oh and did you see Clarke bought a book about long distance relationships? Classic”

 

“I didn’t sign the papers, I’m not leaving”

 

“Seriously?” Raven asked quirking her eyebrow

 

“I have some work here to do still I think” Lexa replied before turning her head to kiss Clarke on the cheek lightly “And a few other things made up my mind for me”

 

“So I guess I need to start looking for apartments then” Raven joked “And I’m totally going to lose a bet I had with Octavia about when you two were going to move in together”

 

“Why does everyone take bets on us?” Clarke asked

 

“Well I bet _against_ you guys technically” Raven shrugged “I had inside information that the Lieutenant would be moving so I bet against you moving in with each other in the next few month and now I’m going to owe Octavia money”

 

“Well no one is going to win anything yet” Lexa shook her head “And your pancake or whatever that is you are cooking is burning because your pan is too high”

 

“Seeing as you are standing there, want to help me?” Raven asked

  
“She has one arm” Clarke shook her head “You are the one making this for Wick, this whole thing was your idea”

 

“But I think your apartment is about to be burnt down” Lexa said gently shaking herself from Clarke’s arms and approaching the stove to look down at the pancake batter “And that would look really bad for all of us”

 

“Yeah it would, so all hands on deck please” Raven pleaded as she looked to Clarke with a winning grin

 

“What do you need?” Clarke asked with a sigh before Raven gave her a bowl of fruit to cut

 

“I was going to make breakfast for us anyway” Lexa sighed as she walked the smoking pan towards the sink “This could be interesting with my left hand”

 

“I’ll work one handed as well so you don’t feel so bad” Raven replied “Then I’ll challenge myself even more by using no hands and just watching you cook”

 

“You’re not moving” Lexa shook her head “You made this mess so we’ll just help you”

 

“Look at us” Raven grinned “Just a group of girls making some breakfast for the guy I'm kind of dating. I think this could become a thing”

 

“Until I move in and kick you out” Lexa replied dryly and was rewarded with a chuckle of amusement from Clarke “See, that was funny”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? 
> 
> Also the next chapter is going to be the last for this story. I think I have gotten it to a place that I'm happy with and I want to finish it off without dragging it along. 
> 
> Thank you for all of the love and I will have the last update soon for you (Most likely in the next day or two) and I will try my hardest to make it a good one. 
> 
> Hope you had a great weekend.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this is the last chapter in this story! 
> 
> Thank you so much for all the love and the awesome comments you have all sent to me. I hope you all like the last chapter :) 
> 
> As always I would love to hear what you think!

Lexa had been standing outside the entrance of Firehouse 56 for a good 5 minutes at the very least.

 

The Lieutenant was nervous for more than one reason.

 

It was like any other shift she had ever started, nothing interesting had happened over the last few days and it had been relatively quiet.

 

It was one year to the day though that Lexa found herself trapped in the basement during that apartment fire, one year to the day when her job almost cost her everything.

 

It had been a long, trying road back for Lexa after that fire.

 

Her injuries took longer than they thought to heal, and because of that it took longer for her to be medically cleared to go back to work than anyone had expected.

 

But she never gave up and she never wavered, returning with the same determination if not more to ensure that 56 stayed in the ranks of the best Firehouse’s in the country.

 

Realistically she wasn’t sure why she was nervous about the shift, she knew that there was very little chance of anything like that happening on that day but she was also aware she could never predict anything in her line of work.

 

Situations changed in a matter of seconds and you had to adapt to whatever was thrown at you.

 

Lexa had never once regretted turning down the Chief position in Seattle once her decision was made because 56 was her home and the people in it were her family.

 

Though she had a lot of making up to do before a few of her squad members forgave her for agreeing to leave, she was able to win mostly all of them back pretty quickly.

 

Octavia and Indra were the hardest for Lexa to convince that she was still loyal to 56 but she wore them down over time and eventually they forgave her for almost leaving.

 

A lot had changed around Firehouse 56 in the year that followed Lexa’s decision to stay.

 

Octavia did get in trouble for disobeying orders during that apartment fire as she disclosed in her incident report but was saved from suspension thanks to Lexa arguing so strongly for her squad member.

 

Lexa thought the younger girl was stupid for not listening to her warning but proud of her conviction and like the Lieutenant always knew she could do; she had become a real leader within the Firehouse.

 

Lincoln was moving from strength to strength, which Lexa had always expected would happen but he was definitely the consistent one of her squad. She always knew she could rely on him.

 

Octavia though had permanently taken over as Squad Truck driver because once she had something set in her mind; there was no way for anyone to stop her from doing it.

 

She had presented some very good arguments to Lexa as to why she should be driver and Lexa gave her that chance, she had worked hard in training so the Lieutenant wanted to reward her.

 

Octavia being Octavia took that opportunity with both hands and ran with it.

 

The biggest change to her squad though came the day that Indra decided to retire from the Fire Department.

 

It had only occurred a few months previous to that day but Lexa couldn’t say she was shocked when Indra came into her office and very quietly handed in her letter of resignation.

 

Lexa had put together the pieces and figured out exactly why she didn’t want to take over from her as Lieutenant, she had already planned her retirement by that stage.

 

Indra had been the one person that was current throughout her entire career as a Fire Fighter so it was tough for Lexa to say goodbye on her last day.

 

The Lieutenant did understand though that Indra had been on squad for a very long time, she deserved to retire happily but of course she was devastated to see her go.

 

Indra had been a great mentor, advisor, friend and a squad member she could always count on so Lexa didn’t envy whoever was taking her place because the Lieutenant wasn’t going to go easy on them.

 

Much to Lexa’s dismay, she was given a Probationary Fire Fighter to replace Indra, who ironically had been her most experienced member of Rescue Squad 2.

 

Lexa understood what it was like to be a Probationary Fire Fighter, they all did because they had to go through it but this was the first time she had a Candidate on her list and was the first time she had to train one straight out of the academy.

 

She knew he must have been decent if he came straight from the academy to her squad but she also thought it could be another test that Commissioner Marcus Kane seemed to enjoy placing on her.

 

Whatever the reason, John Murphy had found himself the newest member of Rescue Squad 2 but Lexa still hadn’t completely warmed to him and his ways just yet because he still hadn’t adapted for 56’s ways yet.

 

She found him a little selfish with an arrogant attitude coming from the top of his academy class but had minimal experience out in the real world.

 

To the Lieutenant he was certainly not the most ideal candidate for 56 but as she knew, she would have to adapt.

 

It was notable though that she also didn’t appreciate Murphy trying to hit on Clarke right in front of her at lunch on his very first day at the Firehouse.

 

Everyone else thought it was hilarious until they saw the look on Lexa’s face when she caught onto just what he was trying to do, the room suddenly going very quiet extremely quickly.

 

Needless to say Murphy looked like a deer caught in headlights once someone informed him that Clarke was actually with Lexa and he hadn’t been able to recover from it yet.

 

Octavia on the other hand was loving having a Probie to order around now that she wasn’t the lowest ranking squad member.

 

Ambulance 1 was quickly becoming one of the most reliable paramedic teams within the Washington DC area, gaining recognition even from the Commission.

 

Raven was still Raven but the amount she had improved was unbelievable, her training and work ethic improving leaps and bounds from when she first started.

 

It was always going to happen but Lexa found herself very close with the other paramedic, she really considered Raven one of her best and most trusted friends.

 

Though Raven still found herself able to blur the lines between was what appropriate work talk and what was very inappropriate to say to her Lieutenant, Lexa usually just let it slide.

 

When Lexa thought of Raven though, her mind usually wandered very quickly to Clarke.

 

Though it didn’t take a lot for her mind to switch to thoughts of Clarke.

 

The paramedic in charge had been through a lot and seen a lot over the past year; Lexa wasn’t sure how she actually could be a paramedic.

 

She had treated some injuries and saved some people in situations that made even Lexa’s stomach churn when they showed up to respond to a call.

 

Though Clarke tried to argue that their jobs were extremely similar, Lexa always thought that Clarke’s job involved more pressure because the victim’s life was in her hands once they were cleared from danger.

 

Firehouse 56’s reputation as one of the best Firehouse’s in the country had only grown and Lexa attributed that closely to the way Clarke worked and how meticulous she was in her job every day.

 

Not only did Lexa admire her professionally, she was obviously in awe of her personally as well.

 

Clarke was Lexa’s anchor, she was the grounding point that held her in place when things got rough or troublesome and the paramedic always knew what to say to her when others failed to understand.

 

It would be impossible for Lexa to try and explain just what Clarke had grown to mean to her because she just didn’t have enough words to do her feelings justice.

 

They had only just moved into a new apartment with each other and although they had been staying between both of their apartments, it was taking a little time for them to get used to it.

 

They soon realised that the saying ‘you really learn about a person when you move in with them’ to be true but they were taking everything into their stride and Lexa thanked herself every day for having that one selfish moment when she allowed herself to show up on Clarke’s doorstep that late winter evening.

 

She would never regret the day that she gave into her heart rather than her head because it resulted in her relationship with Clarke.

 

Because now she got to wake up next to the woman that made her heart feel full and whole every morning after falling asleep next to her every night.

 

And every moment she thought about the paramedic was every moment she was assured about their future together and that she made the right decision to stay in Washington DC.

 

That’s why she knew she was making the right decision about their future.

 

“Okay you’ve actually been standing in this doorway for a good 5 minutes” She heard Raven say from behind her as she stood with her hands resting impatiently on her hips “And not that I mind wasting a little time here and there but I can’t get through if you are standing there all day contemplating”

 

“Sorry” Lexa mumbled apologetically but with a small smile on her face “I was caught up in my own head”

 

“I can see that” Raven nodded “Are you all organised for tonight?”

 

“I think so” Lexa said with a furrowed brow as she turned back to the paramedic “What if this doesn’t work out though?”

 

“Of course it will” Raven rolled her eyes “Don’t be dramatic, what’s she going to do? Say no?”

 

“Well yeah” Lexa replied simply with a blank expression

 

“Like she will say no” Raven shook her head “She loves you and you know that. I mean she kicked me out for you”

 

“No, you moved in with Octavia” Lexa furrowed her eyebrows “You moved out before Clarke and I decided to move in together”

 

“Another genius plan of mine” Raven sighed proudly “Anyway, stop being dramatic. It’ll all be fine. Finn and I will be right there with you for the first part”

 

The whole Wick thing didn’t really work out for her but she started seeing Finn secretly for a few months, though everyone actually knew, and things had been going well for them.

 

Though Lexa had extra paperwork to do because of it, she was happy for them both.

 

She walked to her office and smiled as she found Clarke sitting on her roller chair, with her head leaned back and her eyes closed as she rested her hands in her lap.

 

“Having a nap in my chair?” Lexa asked with an amused tone as she saw Clarke open one eye before quickly closing it again

 

“You literally just went out to get your phone from your car and it took you 5 minutes” Clarke replied as a smile crept up on her lips but she kept her eyes firmly closed “Everything okay?”

 

“I just got caught in my own head” Lexa replied with a shrug “You can’t be napping either; it’s the start of shift”

 

“I know, I’m just tired today” Clarke groaned

 

“I know it’s been a long few days” Lexa replied with a quiet sigh as she approached her chair, bending down to be below Clarke’s eye level even though they were still closed “But we have one more shift until 2 whole days off”

 

“Well one day we are on call” Clarke opened her eyes to grin at her girlfriend “But you’re right”

 

“Plus we are hanging out with Raven and Finn tonight”

 

“Wait why are you excited about that?” Clarke asked cocking an eyebrow “You usually hate group dates”

 

“It’s a double date and I don’t hate them” Lexa said as she leaned up to place a soft kiss on Clarke’s lips before pulling away and moving to sit on her bed “I just usually complain that I don’t like them before I go”

 

“Or while you are on them” Clarke replied and paused “And after you come home from them”

 

“Okay, thank you” Lexa shook her head, holding up a hand defensively “I get it”

 

“What are we doing tonight anyway?” Clarke asked

 

“It’s a secret” Lexa smirked

 

“I’ll find out as soon as you start driving” Clarke shrugged with a small smile

 

“You probably will” Lexa said ambiguously with a shrug of her own “Or maybe you’ve never been to where we are going”

 

“Okay” Clarke said as she stood from the chair to move so she stood directly in front of her girlfriend, placing her hands on the Lieutenant’s shoulders before straddling her hips slowly “Is there any way I can convince you to tell me?”

 

“As your Lieutenant this is highly inappropriate” Lexa said with a straight face for a moment before bringing her hands to grip Clarke’s waist, pulling the other girl flush against her “But as your girlfriend I encourage you to try”

 

“I like how you think” Clarke smirked as she ghosted her lips over the Lieutenant’s enough to brush her lips against Lexa’s but never actually kissing her

 

Lexa grinned, only increasing her grip on the paramedic’s hips before pressing forward, trying to capture Clarke’s lips in her own but she was denied.

 

Clarke gently pushed back from the Lieutenant with a shake of the head as she moved her lips to Lexa’s ear, the blonde’s teeth teasingly biting down very gently on her earlobe.

 

Lexa exhaled sharply from the contact but also in amusement of Clarke’s attempt of seduction of sorts.

 

She couldn’t lie though, it was totally working.

 

Lexa was happy she was sitting because she felt Clarke move ever so slightly against her and her teeth drag gently along the skin just behind her ear and her legs went weak.

 

“Close your blind at least” She heard Octavia call from outside the office as she walked past “You can do that at home”

 

“Away Octavia” Lexa heard herself mumbled lazily before she moved her hands from Clarke’s waist to her face so she could move Clarke’s lips to her own

 

**_Firehouse 56 Rescue Squad 2, Ambulance 1 a non-critical rescue is required at 1927 Mains Road_ **

 

“A non-critical now?” Lexa said sighing as Clarke quickly moved from her lap and pulled her up by the hand “Why is it always the non criticals?”

 

“I’ll get it out of you” Clarke threw over her shoulder as she walked ahead of the Lieutenant

 

“You could just wait until tonight” Lexa shrugged

 

“Isn’t that call the address for the arcade?” Monty asked from the common room table as the Rescue Squad moved towards the garage

 

“We’ll let you know when we get back” Octavia said as she walked past the table before she joked “The real heroes have to get to work”

 

“Bring me something back” Monty called as the squad entered the garage

 

“If it is the arcade, does that mean there will be lots of screaming children?” Octavia flinched slightly while she jumped into the driver’s seat of the truck “I swear this never gets old”

 

“You’re not going to be as good as me” Lincoln said jokingly “The Lieutenant will move me back to being driver”

 

“You’re right, I’m not going to be as good as you” Octavia glanced back at her boyfriend before she left the garage “I’m going to be better”

 

“So Raven said that you’re going out on a double date tonight?” Lincoln asked smirking as he looked to his Lieutenant

 

“Hey, I have totally tried to ask you and Clarke to go on a double date with us” Octavia said raising her eyebrows “You told me you don’t do double dates”

 

“I don’t” Lexa replied simply with a shrug “But I am tonight”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because Raven actually asked” Lexa answered “You never did”

 

“What’s happening tonight?” Murphy asked as he leaned forward in his seat to get in on the conversation

 

“None of your business probie” Octavia shook her head as she smiled in satisfaction “No offence probie but I love having someone to call probie”

 

After only a few minutes of travel, they pulled up outside of the address they were given and Monty had been right, it was an arcade they were going into.

 

“Great” Lexa sighed quietly as she looked back towards Murphy “Come with me so you can hear what the situation is then I want you to listen to what our procedure will be”

 

“Got it” Murphy nodded

 

“And I said listen, not give suggestions or comments” Lexa warned with raised eyebrows “Your mouth is what gets you in trouble, Candidate”

 

Though Lexa wasn’t a big fan of Murphy for the fact that is mouth did often get himself in trouble, she had enough respect to call him by the official name of Candidate Fire Fighter rather than probie because she knew first-hand how much she hated it.

 

“Got it” Murphy repeated as they moved towards the arcade manager, who was looking extremely panicked

 

“There’s a kid inside, he was trying to steal tickets and he got his arm stuck up one of the machines” The manager said in a frantic tone “I think he’s in a lot of pain”

 

“It’s fine sir, we’ll get him out” Lexa nodded before approaching the truck once more as ambulance 1 pulled up

 

“We’re going to try and slip his arm out first, bring in a saw and tools just in-case we have to break him out” Lexa noted before looking to Murphy “Any suggestions?”

 

“His hand is stuck, I don’t think it’s going to come out with some grease” Murphy began to speak

 

“Remember how I said no comments or suggestions?” Lexa raised her eyebrows

 

“But you just asked me” Murphy shook her head

 

“And you didn’t listen”

 

Octavia scoffed quietly as they moved into the darkly lit, large arcade that smelled of sweat and oil from the cafeteria.

 

Lexa looked down at her boots as they felt sticky against the lined floor before she squinted slightly to try and locate the boy.

 

It didn’t take long to find him though.

 

He was the one screaming at the top of his lungs and if it weren’t for the loud music playing inside the arcade, he surely would have been heard from the next neighbourhood

 

“I need earplugs” Murphy said gruffly as they approached the screaming kid

 

“I have to say buddy, this is a first for me” Lexa said to the kid before looking to Clarke “Is there any way you can tell if anything is broken with his arm in there? I’m just reluctant to move him if he is in that much pain”

 

“We need to take a look at it” Clarke shook her head “But I can give him something for the pain”

 

“Okay, what is your name?” Lexa asked turning to the young brunette boy who had tears streaming down his face

 

“His name’s Stephen” She heard a young woman say behind her

 

Lexa turned to face the lady; she looked around the same age as Lexa, who looked far too young to be his mother.

 

“He’s my little brother” She said awkwardly “Though I would like to say he is my step brother because of the situation he is in right now”

 

“Is he asthmatic, diabetic or anything else we need to consider before trying to get him out?” Clarke asked “Any allergies to pain medication?”

 

“No”

 

“Well your parents would be very proud” Lexa said as she flinched, hearing him scream again as Murphy approached him “Because he has a set of excellent lungs”

 

“Okay Stephen, we’re going to try and slip your hand out of there” Octavia said softly as she knelt down next to the screaming boy “How old are you?”

 

“He’s 12”

 

“12 and stealing tickets” Raven grumbled she stood back from the scene with Clarke but Lexa caught it between screams

 

Unfortunately for the Rescue Squad, they were unable to slip his hand out of the machine so they had to take the second option of trying to cut his hand out as best as they could.

 

“Okay Stephen” Lexa said as she pulled up a chair next to the boy “I want you to take my hand and I want you to squeeze it really tightly. We’re going to cut away from your hand so we can loosen the machine from your arm”

 

He nodded and Lexa held out her hand for him to take, which he did and began to squeeze it tightly

 

“We’re ready to go” Lincoln said as she stood by the machine with the saw in his hand

 

“Now your hand might feel a bit warm but you can wear these cool protective glasses and I’ll even let you wear my helmet” Lexa said as she took her helmet off to place on his head and Murphy put safety glasses over his face before Lexa nodded to Lincoln to fire up the small saw and begin cutting into the machine slowly and precisely “You’re wearing my helmet so that means you’re boss here”

 

The rescue crew took half an hour to get his arm out of the ticket machine and 15 minutes for the paramedics to be satisfied that he was just going to suffer some bruising after patching up a few scratches.

 

“I think I’m deaf” Octavia said a little louder than necessary as she jumped out of the truck back at Firehouse 56 “That kid screamed so loud”

 

“I smell breakfast” Lincoln smiled as he walked towards the house and turned backwards to face Murphy “We definitely have better food here than you would have had in the academy”

 

“Probie, before you have breakfast you need to do a check of the truck” Octavia smirked as she held out the truck checklist for Murphy

 

“You can’t order him to do a check Octavia, only I can” Lexa shook her head with a sigh “Candidate you need to do a check of the truck”

 

“Perfect” Octavia grinned as she shook the piece of paper for Murphy to grab

 

“After you eat breakfast though” Lexa added “We should all go in there and eat as a crew”

 

“You’ve gone soft on me Lieutenant” Octavia grinned, walking past Lexa and tapping her on the shoulder gently

 

“I can assure you that I haven’t” Lexa shook her head, following the younger girl inside

 

\---

 

The Lieutenant sat on her bed in the apartment that she shared with Clarke.

 

The shift moved pretty quickly, they were only called out to a few minor emergencies and now had 2 days off which was something they hadn’t been lucky enough to have in the past few weeks.

 

It had been busy.

 

But that was behind Lexa because she was happy to focus on their date tonight and what she had planned after.

 

Clarke emerged from the bathroom, the ends of her hair wet and out over her shoulders, wearing the simple outfit of black jeans and a shirt but Lexa couldn’t help how her heart rate increased as soon as she saw her.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m almost ready” Clarke said awkwardly as she rushed to find something in their drawers

 

“It’s fine” Lexa said calmly “You know Raven will be late”

 

“I’m counting on it” Clarke laughed before pausing “Have I been burning my socks or something? I can’t find a single matching pair”

 

“They were all down the bottom of the washing basket” Lexa chuckled “They’re in the dryer now, I put them in the wash this afternoon”

 

“Thank you” Clarke smiled softly

 

“Just use a pair of mine” Lexa shrugged

 

“I don’t know, sharing socks” Clarke replied pulling a face “That’s a big step”

 

“Just put them on” Lexa shook her head as she stopped a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth

 

“So when are you going to start taking it a little easier on Murphy?” Clarke asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed after taking Lexa’s socks

 

“I _am_ taking it easy on him” Lexa replied “You should have seen what I went through as a probie in 56”

 

“But he has been here for a few months” Clarke said “Plus Raven and I never went through anything like that”

 

“He’s on squad, you are on ambulance” Lexa grumbled “It’s different. I’ve actually been pretty nice to him”

 

“He couldn’t have known we were together when he asked me out” Clarke said cutting to the chase “I know you’re still mad about that”

 

“No, I’m not” Lexa furrowed her eyebrows “I would have been mad if he was hitting on Raven or Octavia as well. It was his first day in his new house coming out of the academy and one of the first things he did was try and ask you out. I was too scared on my first day to even eat lunch”

 

“You do have a point” Clarke nodded

 

“But no, it didn’t help that it was you he chose to hit on” Lexa shook her head as she heard a loud knock on the door “I’ll go”

 

Lexa made her way to the door and opened it to find Raven standing in front of her with a large, teeth baring grin with Finn behind her.

 

“You look extremely happy” Lexa said looking between the two

 

“Happier for seeing you” Raven grinned as she walked into the apartment “I really love this place”

 

“You can stay over whenever you want, you know that right?” Clarke asked as she walked out of the bedroom

 

“Are we ready to go on our double date?” Raven asked over enthusiastically

 

“I’m not _that_ ready” Lexa said with a small smile

 

“Where are we even going?” Clarke asked looking to her girlfriend “I mean I got halfway to finding out but now that we are about to go, you should tell me”

 

“You did not get halfway to finding out” Lexa shook her head as she held Clarke’s blue jacket out for her to take “Come on, before it gets too busy”

 

“Before what gets too busy?” Clarke asked raising her eyebrows

 

“You’re about to find out” Lexa said kissing her girlfriend on the cheek before gently pushing her towards the door

 

\---

 

The Lieutenant grew nervous as she rolled the car to a gentle stop next to the park, the familiar sweet smell of waffles hitting their noses even before they opened the doors.

 

“Waffles” Clarke said with a warm smile as she looked over to the truck “We haven’t been here since last year”

 

“I know” Lexa grinned “And it’s actually warm enough that we can eat outside”

 

“I don’t know, sitting in the car eating waffles probably made my list of top 3 dates” Raven chimed in as she opened her door

 

“It wasn’t really a date though for you” Clarke peered over her shoulder at her friend who just shrugged

 

“Lexa paid for my waffles, it was a date” Raven joked

 

“What is going on?” Finn asked with wide eyes “You went on a date?”

 

“Do you and Finn want to go get a table?” Lexa rolled her eyes as she asked Clarke after she locked the car once they had all moved away, standing in front of the busy waffle truck

 

“Sure thing Lieutenant” Clarke joked

 

“This was a cute little idea” Raven said as she joined the line for waffles

 

“We haven’t been here in a while and it’s pretty relaxed” Lexa shrugged “I thought it would be nice to get something to eat”

 

“How are you feeling?” Raven asked with a smile “Good? Nervous? Do you have everything you need?”

 

“Well I don’t need much and I’m terrified” Lexa said shakily as she plunged her hand into her jacket pocket quickly before pulling it out again with a nod “I would feel less nervous running into a burning building”

 

“Yeah but that’s your job” Raven shrugged “It will be awesome, she will love it and she definitely won’t say no. Don’t freak out and don’t back out because you both want this. Most importantly, I want this for you both”

 

“I’m not going to back out, I’m in way too deep to back out” Lexa shook her head as they took a step forward in the line “You and Finn seem to be doing well”

 

“We are” Raven smiled “He’s the best guy I have met in a long time, it’s refreshing”

 

“Good” Lexa nodded awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her neck looking up at the menu “I never know what to get here”

 

“Everything is the only reasonable answer to that” Raven laughed

 

Lexa and Raven eventually ordered too much for the four of them, which was evident when they were handed everything on two large trays to take back to the table.

 

Her eyes grew wider and wider with each plate that was added and quickly figured out that they underestimated just how much they had actually decided to order.

 

Lexa couldn’t figure out whether she was terrified or excited by the sheer amount of food that now sat in front of them.

 

There were at least 8 different plates of all different kinds of waffles, each covered in melting ice cream and different toppings.

 

“Okay so maybe next time you and Raven shouldn’t order together” Clarke said with wide eyes

 

“We got a little carried away” Lexa admitted as she handed Clarke cutlery “We thought it would be better for us to all just share”

 

“What did you order?” Clarke asked “Or should I ask what you didn’t order?”

 

“That is the more relevant question” Raven nodded before she sat down next to Finn and nudged him gently “This guy is a garbage disposal though so it’ll get eaten”

 

“I don’t eat that much” Finn defended himself

 

“I would be worried if you did” Lexa agreed “I will definitely be going for a run tomorrow morning”

 

“We all will” Clarke agreed

 

“Well speak for yourselves” Raven scoffed as she picked up a quarter of a waffle to put on her own plate “I’d totally be okay if I died tonight after this”

 

“Let’s not say that” Clarke said with wide eyes

 

“Oh” Raven said as her eyes shot to Lexa “Oh yeah, sorry about that”

 

“I didn’t die” Lexa shrugged “I know it’s been a year today since the apartment fire but you don’t need to tiptoe around me”

 

“I can’t believe it’s been a year” Finn replied “That’s gone quickly”

 

“No, it really hasn’t” Lexa laughed “Longest year of my life”

 

“Yeah but now look at you” Raven replied seriously “You’re running a close to perfect Rescue and Ambulance squad, you live with Clarke and you are sitting in a park eating waffles with some of your favourite people…and Finn”

 

“Hey, Finn is the one that found me in the basement so if anything I should like him more than you”

 

“Just wait a minute before you start throwing that around” Raven said calmly as she chewed a mouthful of waffle, exposing her friends to more than they probably wanted to see “Let’s remember who set Clarke up on an awful date so you would finally stop being stubborn and admit you cared for her. I mean I’m practically the reason why you two are even together”

 

“I don’t know if it was just that” Clarke chuckled at her friend

 

“Yeah but I moved out so Clarke couldn’t afford to live on her own in that apartment and would move in with you” Raven shook her head, leaning forward slightly towards Lexa

 

“No, you moved out because you knew that Lexa and I were talking about moving in with each other and Octavia had a spare bedroom that she was trying to find someone to fill” Clarke replied “You went because you thought it was good timing”

 

“It really was” Raven said seriously “Well whatever the reason, I’m just glad because my best friend deserves to be happy”

 

“While we are clearing truths out, I did not take you out on a date here” Lexa spoke as she looked from Raven to Finn “I didn’t take her out on a date”

 

“You payed for my waffles” Raven shrugged carelessly “That’s a date”

 

“I paid for waffles for all 3 of us because _your_ date didn’t show up” Lexa responded with a smirk “It was going to be a date for Clarke and I”

 

“Well I’m glad that’s cleared up” Finn said with wide eyes as he tried to follow the conversation

 

“They bicker” Clarke added with a nod only to receive a gentle elbow in the ribs from her girlfriend next to her

 

“What a nice little date idea this was, Lieutenant” Raven said after a moment of comfortable silence passed over the group “Very nice”

 

“Thanks” Lexa chuckled with a small shake of her head

 

After everyone had finished eating, having made a significant dent in the amount of food they ordered; Raven made an excuse for her to walk off with Finn, leaving Lexa and Clarke sitting at the table alone.

 

“She’s like a teenager with him” Clarke laughed as she watched Raven in the distance tugging Finn around a group of night markets that were happening in the park

 

“Should we go for a walk?” Lexa asked “I think I ate so much that I have waffle swelling up my feet”

 

“Yeah, I could use a walk” Clarke replied as she stood and held her hand out for Lexa to take

 

“Sorry this was a lame date idea, I just thought it could be fun coming back here” Lexa shrugged as she linked her fingers with Clarke’s and sighing contently

 

“No it was great” Clarke nodded as they began to walk along the edge of the park “We probably shouldn’t come here so often though judging by the amount of food you ordered”

 

“I do get carried away” Lexa agreed “That part was only half my fault though”

 

“Only half” Clarke smiled, leaning up slightly to place a soft kiss on Lexa’s cheek before leaning her head on Lexa’s shoulder as they continued to walk slowly “But this is nice”

 

“It is” Lexa replied quietly “I can’t believe it’s been a year today since the apartment fire. I mean this time a year ago, I was going to Seattle”

 

“I know” Clarke said softly “Things could have been pretty different”

 

“Do you think we would have done okay long distance?”

 

“I think so” Clarke nodded “I told you a year ago and I will tell you now, it was never going to change how I felt about you. We were just going to have to adjust”

 

“I definitely think I made the right decision” Lexa replied “Not just for our relationship but I definitely think I’m where I’m supposed to be right now”

 

“I would agree with that” Clarke responded before she paused momentarily “I really love you Lexa”

 

“And I really love you too” Lexa said as she pulled Clarke’s hand up to kiss it gently “Even though you literally step out of your clothes once you finish wearing them and just leave them right there on the floor”

 

“You leave every drawer open in the apartment” Clarke countered “Even when I’m sure you haven’t even used anything in that drawer”

 

“Well it can’t be more annoying than leaving your coffee cups right next to the sink instead of just putting them in the sink to wash” Lexa teased

 

“You just leave your shoes under the table all the time when you kick them off at dinner” Clarke laughed shaking her head against Lexa’s shoulder

 

“As annoying as we both obviously are I’m glad we moved in together because honestly I have never been happier” Lexa said with a sigh as she tucked her other hand into her jacket pocket

 

“Well _I’m_ not annoying” Clarke playfully added “But I’ve never been happier either and I’m really happy that I convinced myself to come out here to DC and take this job”

 

“I’m glad too” Lexa replied quietly as she ran her fingers over the little box that had been burning a hole in her pocket the entire night with a deep sigh, their conversation confirming everything she needed to know “I really am” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I do have an idea for a new fic, which might take a week or so to figure out but you'll be sick of me soon! 
> 
> It'll be yet another AU but I think it will be a bit lighter than this fic and a little more fun :)
> 
> Thanks again.


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